(1) whoever, voluntarily and without proper authority, does any of the following acts, that is to say :–
(a) damages, alters, enlarges, or obstructs any irrigation system;
(b) interferes with, increase, or diminishes the water supply in, or the flow of water from, through, over or under any irrigation system;
(c) being responsible for the maintenance of the irrigation system under a pipe outlet neglect to take proper precautions for the prevention of wastage of the water thereof or interferes with the authorised distribution of water therefrom or uses water in an unauthorised manner, or in such manner as to cause damage to the adjacent land holding;
(d) corrupts or fouls, water of any irrigation system so as to render it less fit for the purposes for which it is ordinarily used;
(e) obstructs or removes any level marks or water guage or any other mark or sign fixed by the authority or a public servant;
(f) opens, shuts, or obstructs or attempts to open, shut obstruct any sluice or outlet or any other similar contrivance in any irrigation system;
Penalties.
[Act No.15 of 1984] 31
(g) uses water unlawfully or unauthorisedly or agrees or allows to grow any crop in contravention of any notification under this Act, shall be liable for conviction before a Magistrate.
(2) Any person who is convicted for the offences under sub-section (1) shall–
(i) for the first offence, be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees;
(ii) for a second or subsequent offence, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which shall not be less than two hundred rupees, but may extend to one thousand rupees or with both.
(3) Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of section 8 or section 9 or section 10 shall be liable for conviction before a Magistrate and shall be punished with a fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.
(4) In case of continuing offence, a fine not exceeding fifty rupees per day shall be imposed during the period of continuance of the offence.
35. Whoever abets any offence punishable by or under this Act or attempts to commit any such offence, shall be punished with the penalty provided by or under this Act for committing such offence.
36. Nothing in this Act shall prevent any person from being prosecuted and punished under any other law for the time being in force for any act or omission made punishable by or under this Act:
Abetment of offences.
Punishment under other laws not barred.
32 [Act No.15 of 1984]
Provided that no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.