(1) Whosoever wilfully and without the permission of the competent officer, commits or attempts to commit the following acts:-
(a) damages, alters, enlarges, or obstructs any irrigation work;
(b) interferes with, or increases, or diminishes the supply of water in, or the flow of water through, over or under any irrigation work or does some other act which reduces its utility for the purposes for which it was constructed;
(c) corrupts or fouls the water of any irrigation work by which the utility is reduced for the purposes for which it is ordinarily used;
(d) destroys, defaces or removes any land or level marks or water guage or lock fixed by competent officer;
(e) destroys, tampers with or removes the apparatus for controlling, regulating or measuring the flow of water in any irrigation work;
(f) notwithstanding any prohibition, passes or causes animals or vehicles to pass, in or across any irrigation work, its banks, or channels, contrary to rules made under section 67;
(g) willfully causes or permits cattle to graze upon any irrigation work, or flood-embankment, or willfully tethers or causes or permits cattle to be tethered, upon any such irrigation work or embankment, or roots up any grass or vegetation growing on any irrigation work or embankment, Damaging irrigation works.
18 [Act No.XXIV of 1357 F.]
or removes, cuts, or in any way injures or causes to be removed, or otherwise injures, any tree bush, hedge or grass planted for the protection of such irrigation work or embankment; and
(h) whoever contravenes any rule made under section 67 the breach whereof is declared punishable under this section, shall, on conviction before a Collector, be punished with a fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.
(2) For any contravention mentioned in clause (a), (d) or (e) of sub-section (1) if the Collector is of the opinion that in the circumstances of the case it is proper to punish with imprisonment in lieu of fine he may commit the case to the special Magistrate appointed under section 55 or if no such special Magistrate is appointed, to the competent Magistrate concerned and on conviction before the special Magistrate or the competent Magistrate, as the case may be, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three months.