Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) 'ayacut' in relation to an irrigation work means the lands which have been registered as lands entitled to irrigation under that irrigation work by any authority or officer authorized by the Government; (b) 'Collector' means any Revenue Divisional Officer and includes any person appointed by the Government to exercise any of the functions of a Collector under this Act; (c) 'field bothies' means small channels which run from outlets in the Government channels and which convey and distribute water to individual fields; (d) 'Government' means the State Government; (e) 'irrigation work' means any of the projects specified in the Schedule to this Act and any other project or canal which may be declared by the Government by notification to be an irrigation work; (f) 'owner' means- (i) any person holding land in severally or jointly or in common under a ryotwari settlement or in any way subject to the payment of revenue direct to the Government, or (ii) a landholder as defined in the Tamil Nadu Estates Land Act, 1908 (Tamil Nadu Act 1 of 1908) or a ryot as defined in that Act, or (iii) an inamdar not being a landholder defined as aforesaid, and includes any person for the time being receiving or entitled to receive, whether on his own account or as agent, trustee, guardian, manager or receiver, for another person, the rent or profit derivable from land, or a minor with possession; (g) 'water course' means a river, stream, natural channel, lake or natural collection of water and includes any tributary or branch of any river, stream or channel.