Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be called the Kerala Protection of River Banks and Regulation of Removal of Sand Act, 2001. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala. (3) It shall come into force on 1such date as the Government may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 2[(a) “authorised officer” means the Commissioner of Land Revenue authorised under section 2B and includes the officer entrusted by the Government under the said section to assist him]; 3[(aa)] “District Collector” means the Collector of the District; (b) “District Expert Committee” means the District Expert Committee constituted under section 3; 1[(ba) “State High Level Committee” means the State High Level Committee constituted under section 2A]; (c) “Fund” means the River Management Fund maintained under section 17; (d) “Government” means the Government of Kerala; (e) “Kadavu” means a river ban, or water body where removal of sand is carried out; (f) “Kadavu Committee” means the Kadavu Committee constituted under section 4; (g) “Local Authority” means a Village Panchayat constituted under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (13 of 1994) or a Municipality constituted under the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 (20 of 1994); (h) “Municipality” means a Town Panchayat or a Municipal Council or Municipal Corporation constituted under the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 (20 of 1994); (i) “Notification” means a notification published in the Gazette under this Act; (j) “Prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under this Act; (k) “Section” means a section of this Act; 1[(ka) “Special Protection Force” means the Special Protection Force constituted under section 26A]; (l) “Grama Panchayat” means a Village Panchayat constituted under section 4 of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (13 of 1994); (m) “Block Panchayat” means a Block Panchayat constituted under section 4 of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (13 of 1994); (n) “District Panchayat” means a District Panchayat constituted under section 4 of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (13 of 1994).

(1) As soon as may be, after the commencement of this Act, the Government shall, by notification constitute an Expert Committee for each district in the State with effect from such date, as may be specified in the notification. (2) Every District Expert Committee shall consist of the following members, namely:— (a) the District Collector — Ex-officio ; (b) a representative nominated by the Government from among the members of the District Panchayat representing any area abutting any river of the district; (c) the District Labour Officer — Ex-officio ; (d) the Superintendent of Police in charge of Law and Order in the district— Ex-officio ; (e) the Deputy Director of Panchayat — Ex-officio; (f) a Municipal Chairman/Chairperson from among the Chairman/ Chairpersons of the Municipal Councils abutting any river in the district — to be nominated by the Government; (g) two persons from among the Presidents of the Grama Panchayat abutting any river in the district— to be nominated by the Government; (h) one President from among the Presidents of the Block Panchayats abutting any river in the district—to be nominated by the Government; (i) a Hydrologist— to be nominated by the Government; (j) one Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department working in this district; (k) an Engineer not below the rank of an Executive Engineer of the Kerala Water Authority working in the district— to be nominated by the Government; (l) [three Environmentalists] associated with river protection activities —to be nominated by the Government; (m) an Engineer (Roads and Bridges) of the Public Works Department, not below the rank of an Executive Engineer and working in the district to be nominated by the Government; (n) the Geologist/District Officer, Department of Mining and Geology— Ex-officio; (o) one Divisional Forest Officer—to be nominated by the Government; [(p) Revenue Divisional Officer or Revenue Divisional Officers having jurisdiction in the district; (q) three persons to be nominated by the Government from among the registered organisation of sand removing workers of the district; (r) Tahasildars of all the Taluks in the district and the Additional Tahasildars having jurisdiction in relation to regulation of sand removal in the district]. (3) The District Collector shall be the Chairman and [the Revenue Divisional Officer in-charge of the Headquarters] shall be the Convener of the District Expert Committee. (4) The District Expert Committee shall meet at such times and at such places as the Chairman may decide and exercise such powers and functions as may be conferred under this Act and the rules made thereunder.