(1) Where the committee of a padasekharam applies to the Collector, the Punja Special Officer or any other officer authorised by the Government in that behalf, to arrange for the dewatering of that padasekharam for the purpose of paddy cultivation, it shall be lawful for the Collector, the Punja Special Officer or such other officer to arrange for the dewatering of such padasekharam and to recover the cost of such dewatering from all the owners of such padasekharam:
Provided that arrangement for dewatering shall not be made unless the Irrigation Officer has certified, after due investigation, the safety of the land in a padasekharam.
(2) The Collector, the Punja Special Officer or the officer authorised under sub-section (1), arranging dewatering of any padasekharam under the said sub-section or any person or persons authorised by him to undertake such dewatering work shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, have the power to enter upon any field in that padasekharam and to install any machinery for the purpose of such dewatering and to execute any temporary work incidental thereto.
(3) Where cultivation in any padasekharam or in any portion thereof is likely to be affected for want of proper irrigation or drainage facilities, the Collector, the Punja Special Officer or the officer authorised by the Government under sub-section (1) shall have the power to arrange for the execution of any temporary work as is necessary to irrigate or drain the padasekharam or any portion thereof, as the case 20 may be, and the cost thereof shall be realised from all the owners of the padasekharam.
Explanation:— In this section and in section 33 and 34,—
(i) "committee of padasekharam" means the committee of the owners of padasekharam constituted in such manner as may be prescribed; and
(ii) "padasekharam" means collection of paddy fields contiguously situated, whether owned by one or more than one person.