Chapter XIX RESTRAINT OF INFECTION

Board of Councillors to take measures for prevention and checking of dangerous diseases: It shall be the duty of the Board of Councillors to take such measures as are necessary for preventing or checking the spread of any dangerous disease in the municipal area or of any epidemic disease among any animal therein by way of mass inoculation, vaccination, immunisation, and disinfection.

Obligation to give information of dangerous disease: Any person being in charge of, or in attendance upon, whether as a medical practitioner or otherwise, any other person whom he knows or has reason to believe to be suffering from a dangerous disease, or being the owner, lessee, or occupier of any building in which he knows that any such person is so suffering, shall forthwith give information as respects the existence of such disease to the Chairman.

Power of Chairman to cause inspection of a place and take measures to prevent spread of dangerous disease: The Chairman may at any time, by day or by night and without notice or after giving such notice of his intention as shall, in the circumstances, appear to him to be reasonable, cause inspection of any place in which any dangerous disease is reported or suspected to exist, and take such measures as he may think fit to prevent the spread of such disease beyond such place, and shall forthwith submit a report to the State Government.

Power of Chairman to cause disinfection of building, tank, pool or well:

1. (1) If the Chairman is of opinion that the cleansing or disinfection of any building or any part thereof or of any article in such building or part thereof will tend to prevent or check the spread of any dangerous disease, he may by notice require the owner or the occupier to cleanse and disinfect such building or part thereof or of any article therein in such manner and within such time as may be specified in the notice.
2. (2) The Chairman may, if he thinks fit, cause such cleansing or disinfection to be done by the employees of the Municipality and may by notice require the occupier of such building or part thereof to vacate the same for such time as he may specify in the notice.
3. (3) The cost of cleansing or disinfecting under sub-section (2) shall be paid,-
   • (a) in the case of any building or any part thereof or any article contained therein, by the occupier of such building or part thereof, and
   • (b) in any other case, by the person in actual possession thereof or, if there is no such person, by the owner:

Power of Chairman to destroy infectious buildings, structures, huts or sheds Power of Chairman to destroy infectious buildings, structures, huts or sheds:

1. (1) Where the destruction of any building, structure, hut or shed is, in the opinion of the Executive Council, necessary to prevent the spread of any dangerous disease, it may by notice in writing require the owner to destroy the building, structure, hut or shed and the materials thereof within such time as may be specified in the notice.
2. (2) Where the Executive Council is satisfied that the destruction of any building, structure, hut or shed is immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing the spread of any dangerous disease, it may order the owner or the occupier thereof to destroy the same forthwith or may cause it to be destroyed after giving not less than six hours' notice to the owner or the occupier, as the case may be.
3. (3) Compensation may be paid by the Board of Councillors, in such case as it may think fit, to any person who sustains substantial loss by the destruction of any such building, structure, hut or shed, but, except otherwise provided in this sub-section, no claim for compensation shall lie for any loss or damage caused by the exercise of any power under this section.

Power of Chairman to dose lodging and eating houses: The Chairman may, on being satisfied that it is in the public interest so to do, by written order direct that any lodging house or any place where articles of food and drink are sold, prepared, stored or exposed for sale, being a lodging house or place in which case of dangerous disease exists or has recently occurred, shall be closed for such period as may be specified in the order:

Power of Chairman to restrict or prohibit sale of fish, flesh, food, drink, articles, etc Power of Chairman to restrict or prohibit sale of fish, flesh, food, drink, articles, etc.: When the Municipal area or any part thereof is visited or threatened by an outbreak of any dangerous disease, the Chairman may, by public notice, restrict in such manner, or prohibit for such period, as may be specified in the notice, the sale or preparation of any article of food or drink or drug for human consumption, or the sale of any fish, flesh, fruit or vegetable of any description, or the use of any container or packages, as may be specified in the notice.

Control over well and tanks, etc.: If the Chairman is of opinion that the water in any tank or other place is likely to endanger human life or cause the spread of any disease, he may-

1. (a) by public notice prohibit the use of such water for consumption; or
2. (b) by notice in writing require the owner or the person having control of such well, tank or place to take such steps as may be directed by the notice to prevent the public from having access to, or from using, such water; or
3. (c) take such other steps as he may consider expedient to prevent the outbreak or spread of any such disease.

Special measures in case of outbreak of dangerous or epidemic disease:

1. (1) In the case of any municipal area or any part thereof being visited or threatened by an outbreak of any dangerous disease among the inhabitants thereof or of any epidemic disease among any animal therein, the Chairman, if he thinks that the other provisions of this Act and the provisions of any other law for the time being in force are insufficient for the purpose may, with the previous approval of the Board of Councillors,-
   • (a) take such special measures, which may extent to destruction of the sources of infection like food stuff, drugs, drinks, flesh, fish, fruits, vegetables, articles, containers, packages or clothing, as may be necessary, and [Text continues] class or section of the public as he thinks necessary. to prevent the outbreak or spread of the disease: Provided that where, in the opinion of the Chairman, immediate measures are necessary, he may take action without such approval as aforesaid and, if he does so, shall forthwith report such action to the Board of Councillors: Provided further that no compensation shall be claimed by anyone affected by the measures taken under clause (a).
2. (2) No person shall commit a breach of any direction given under sub-section (1) and if he does so, he shall be deemed to have committed an offence under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

Disposal of infectious corpses: Where any person dies from any dangerous disease, the Chairman may, by notice in writing,-

1. (a) require any person having charge of the corpse to carry the same to mortuary for being disposed of in accordance with law, or
2. (b) prohibit the removal of the corpse from the place where death occurred, except for the purpose of being burnt or buried or being carried to a mortuary.

Prohibition of making or selling of food etc. or washing of clothes by infected persons: No person shall, while suffering from, or in circumstances in which he is likely to spread, any dangerous disease,-

1. (a) make, carry or offer for sale, or take any part in business of making, carrying or offering for sale, any article of food or drink of any medicine or drug for human consumption or any article of clothing or bedding for personal use or wear, or
2. (b) take any part in the business of washing or carrying of clothes.

Duty of persons suffering from dangerous disease: No person shall,-

1. (a) knowing that he is suffering from a dangerous disease, expose other persons to the risk of infection by his presence or conduct in any public street or public place;
2. (b) having the care of a person who he knows to be suffering from a dangerous disease, cause or permit such person to expose other persons to the risk of infection by his presence or conduct in any street of place as aforesaid;
3. (c) place or cause to be placed in any dustbin or other receptacle for the deposit of rubbish, any matter which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a dangerous disease and which has not been disinfected properly;
4. (d) throw or cause to be thrown into any latrine or urinal any matter which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a dangerous disease and which has not been disinfected properly.