Power to declare insect pests, plant diseases and noxious weeds and to direct measures to eradicate or prevent them.

(1) Whenever it appears to the State Government that any pest, disease or weed is injurious to crops, plants or trees in any local area and that it is necessary to take measures to eradicate such pest, disease or weed or to prevent its introduction, spread or re-appearance, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,— (i) declare that such pest, disease or weed is an insect pest, plant disease or noxious weed; (ii) specify the local area within which and the period during which such declaration shall remain in force; (iii) prohibit or restrict the movement or removal of any plant, tree, soil or manure from one place to another within or outside such area; and (iv) direct the carrying out of such preventive or remedial measures including the destruction of any insect pest, plant disease or noxious weed or the planting or destruction of any crops, plants or trees within the period specified in such notification as the State Government may deem necessary, in order to eradicate such pest, disease or weed or to prevent its introduction, spread or re-appearance: Provided that where the State Government is satisfied at the time of issuing such notification or at any time thereafter, that it is necessary to carry out such preventive or remedial measures immediately in any local area, it may in or by such notification direct, such measures to be carried out immediately,— (a) by itself through its own officers, or (b) by such persons or institutions including the occupier and in such manner as the State Government may specify in such notification, and the cost of any measures so carried out — (i) by the officers shall be payable to the State Government, and (ii) by the persons or the institutions shall be payable to the persons or as the case may be, the institutions, by each occupier in the local area to such extent, in such proportion and within such time, as the State Government may, by order determine. (2) The substance of the notification issued under sub-section (1) shall also be notified by the Collector by beat of drum or other customary mode in such local area.