(1) If the Collector or an officer authorised by the Collector (hereinafter referred to as "the requisitioning authority"), after making such inquiry as he deems fit, is satisfied that due to scarcity of drinking water in any local area, it is necessary or expedient that the water in any well on any land under the irrigation command of a canal, or an any other land which is used for irrigation or any other purposes whatsoever, shall be temporarily utilised, wholly or partially, by the public for drinking purposes, the requisitioning authority shall, from time to time, by order in writing require the owner of the well to supply or cause to be supplied to the requisitioning authority or its agents or such other persons or classes of persons, or to allow them to draw or lift, such quantities of water, from such date, during such hours and such periods and in such manner, as may be specified in the order.
(2) Any order made under this section may, from time to time, be amended by the requisitioning authority, and may be cancelled by it at any time.
(3) (a) any order made under this section shall, if the owner of the well is as individual person, be served or caused to be served on that person,-
(i) personally, by delivering or tendering to him the order, or
(ii) where the person cannot be found, by leaving an authentic copy of the order with some adult member of his family; or
(iii) by post.
In the case of an order affecting a corporation or a firm, it shall be served in the manner for the service of a summons in rule 2 of Order XXIX or rule 3 of Order XXX, as the case may be, in the First Schedule to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908).
(b) The order shall also be given wide publicity in the local area by the requisitioning authority in such manner, which the authority considers best calculated to bring it to the notice of the persons who would be able to get water made available to them under the order, free of charge.
(4) Any person who refuses to comply with or contravenes any order made under this section as in force for the time being, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.