Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) 'Apex Committee' means the Apex Committee constituted under section 12;
2. (b) 'area of operation' in relation to a farmers organisation means a contiguous block of land in the command area as the Government may, by notification, specify in this behalf;
3. (c) 'ayacut road' means a road within the area of operation, but does not include any road vested in a Village Panchayat, Panchayat Union, Town Panchayat, Municipality, Municipal Corporation and Highways;
4. (d) 'canal system' includes—
   • (i) main canals, branch canals, distributaries and water courses constructed for the supply and distribution of water for irrigation;
   • (ii) all works, structures and appliances connected with the distribution of water for irrigation; and
   • (iii) all field channels and other related channels and structures under an irrigation sluice;
5. (e) 'Collector' means the Collector of a district in which the irrigation system is situated and includes any officer specially appointed by the Government to perform all or any of the functions of the Collector under this Act;
6. (f) 'command area' means an area irrigated under any irrigation system either by gravitational flow or by lift irrigation or by any other method from a Government source and includes every such area whether it is called 'ayacut' or by any other name under any law for the time being in force;
7. (g) 'competent authority' means the authority appointed under section 26;
8. (h) 'drainage system' in relation to an irrigation system includes—
   • (i) channels either natural or artificial, for the discharge of waste or surplus water and all works connected therewith or ancillary thereto;
   • (ii) escape channels from an irrigation or canal system and other works connected therewith, but does not include works for removal of sewage;
   • (iii) all collecting drains and main drains to drain off surplus water from field drains; and
   • (iv) all field drains and related structures under irrigation sluices;
   • (i) 'farmers organisation' means the—
   • (i) 'Water Users Association' at the primary level consisting of all the water users, as constituted under section 4; or
   • (ii) 'Distributary Committee' at secondary level, as constituted under section 7; or
   • (iii) 'Project Committee' at the project level, as constituted under section 10;
9. (j) 'field channel' includes a channel existing or to be constructed by the Government or by the water users or by any agency to receive and distribute water from a sluice;
10. (k) 'field drain' includes a channel excavated and maintained by the water users or by any other agency, to discharge waste or surplus water from the land holding under a sluice and includes drains, escape channels and other similar works existing or to be constructed;
11. (l) 'financing agency' means any commercial bank or any co-operative society or any other bank or organisation established or incorporated under any law, for the time being in force, which lends money for the development of the area of operation of the farmers organisation;
12. (m) 'Government' means the State Government;
13. (n) 'Government source' means any source of water under the control of the Water Resources Organisation;
14. (o) 'hydraulic basis' means the basis for identifying a viable irrigated area served by one or more hydraulic structures such as head works, main canal, branches, distributaries, sluices and the like;
15. (p) 'irrigation system' means such major, medium and minor irrigation system for conveyance of water for irrigation and other allied uses from Government source and includes reservoirs, open head channels, diversion systems, lift irrigation schemes, anicuts, tanks, wells and the like. Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause,—
    • (i) 'Major Irrigation System' means irrigation system under Major Irrigation Project having irrigable command area of more than 10,000 hectares.
    • (ii) 'Medium Irrigation System' means irrigation system under Medium Irrigation Project having irrigable command area of more than 2,000 hectares and up to 10,000 hectares;
    • (iii) 'Minor Irrigation System' means irrigation system under Minor Irrigation Project having irrigable command area up to 2,000 hectares;
16. (q) 'land' means any land under any registered ayacut of any irrigation system;
17. (r) 'maintenance' means execution of such works on the irrigation system as are necessary to ensure that the physical system designed to the standards operates for the proper distribution of water to the lands; 'managing committee' means the managing committee of any farmers organisation;
18. (t) 'operational plan' means a schedule of irrigation deliveries with details of the mode and duration of supplies drawn up for regulation of irrigation in any command area;
19. (u) 'Rotational Water Supply' means a system of distribution of water to water users by turn, according to an approved schedule, indicating the day, duration and time of supply;
    • (v) 'territorial constituency' means a contiguous block of command area of one or more sluices under a Water Users Association area;
20. (w) 'water allocation' in relation to an irrigation system means the distribution of water determined from time to time by a farmers organisation in its area of operation;
    • (x) 'Water Resources Organisation' means the Water Resources Organisation of the Public Works Department of the Government;
21. (y) 'water user' means any farmer holding any land either as the owner or as the tenant recorded as such in the revenue records of rights in respect of such land and includes any other individual or body or a society using water for agriculture, from a Government source;