Sec 261 to 304 Chapter XV (Sanitation And Public Health) The New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994

Conservancy and sanitation

261. Provision for daily cleansing of streets and removal of rubbish and filth.—

(1) For the purpose of securing the efficient scavenging and cleansing of all streets and premises, the Chairperson shall provide—

(a) for the daily surface-cleansing of all streets and the removal of the sweepings therefrom, and

(b) for the removal of the contents of all receptacles and depots and of the accumulations at all places provided or appointed by him under the provisions of this Act for the temporary deposit of rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter.

(2) The Chairperson may, by public notice, issue directions as to the time at which, the manner in which, and the conditions subject to which, any matter referred to in sub-section (1) may be removed along a street or may be deposited or otherwise disposed of.

262. Rubbish, etc., to be the property of the Council.—

All matters deposited in public receptacles, depots and places provided or appointed under section 263 and all matters collected by municipal employees or contractors in pursuance of section 261 and section 265 shall be the property of the Council.

263. Provision or appointment of receptacles, depots and places for rubbish, etc.—

(1) The Chairperson shall—

a) provide or appoint in proper and convenient situations public receptacles, depots or places for the temporary deposit of rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter and for the final disposal of rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter;

(b) provide dustbins for the temporary deposit of rubbish;

(c) provide vehicles or other suitable means for the removal of rubbish and offensive matter; and

(d) provide covered vehicles or vessels for the removal of filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter

(2) Different receptacles, depots or places may be provided or appointed for the temporary deposit or final disposal of any of the matters specified in sub-section (1).

(3) The Chairperson shall make adequate provision for preventing receptacles, depots, places, dustbins, vehicles and vessels referred to in sub-section (1) from becoming sources of nuisance.

264. Duty of owners and occupiers to collect and deposit rubbish, etc.—

It shall be the duty of the owners and occupiers of all premises—

(a) to have the premises swept and cleaned;

(b) to cause all filth, rubbish and other polluted and obnoxious matter to be collected from their respective premises and to be deposited at such times as the Chairperson, by public notice prescribes, in public receptacles, depots or places provided or appointed under section 263 for the temporary deposit or final disposal thereof;

(c) to provide receptacles of the type and in the manner prescribed by the Chairperson for the collection therein of all filth, rubbish and other polluted and obnoxious matter from such premises and to keep such receptacles in good condition and repair.

265. Collection and removal of filth and polluted matter.—

(1) It shall be the duty of the owner and occupier of every premises situate in any portion of New Delhi in which there is not a latrine, or urinal connected by a drain with a municipal drain, to cause all filth and polluted and obnoxious matter accumulating upon such premises to be collected and removed to the nearest receptacle or depot provided for this purpose under section 263 at such times, in such vehicle or vessel by such route and with such precautions as the Chairperson may by public notice prescribe

(2) It shall be lawful for the Chairperson to take or cause to be taken measures for the daily collection, removal and disposal of all filth and polluted and obnoxious matters from latrines, urinals and cesspools not connected by a drain with a municipal drain from all premises situate in any portion of New Delhi.

(3) In such portion of New Delhi and in any premises where situate in which there is a latrine or urinal connected with a municipal drain, it shall not be lawful, except with the written permission of the Chairperson, for any person who is not employed by or on behalf of the Chairperson to discharge any of the duties of scavengers

266. Removal of rubbish, etc., accumulated on premises used as factories, workshop, etc.—

The Chairperson may, if he thinks fit,—

(a) by written notice require the owner or occupier of any premises used for carrying on any manufacture, trade or business or used as a factory, workshop, trade premises or market or in any way so that rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter are accumulated in large quantities, to collect all such rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter accumulating thereon and to remove the same at such times and in such carts or receptacles and by such routes as may be specified in the notice to a depot or place provided or appointed under section 263, or

(b) after giving such owner or occupier notice of his intention, cause all rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter accumulated in such premises to be removed, and charge the said owner or occupier for such removal such fee as may, with the sanction of the Council be specified in the notice issued under clause (a).

267. Prohibition against accumulation of rubbish, etc.—

(1) No owner or occupier of any premises shall keep or allow to be kept for more than twenty-four hours or otherwise than in a receptacle approved by the Chairperson, any rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter on such premises or any place belonging thereto or neglect to employ proper means to remove such rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter from, or to cleanse, such receptacle and to dispose of such rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter in the manner directed by the Chairperson, or fail to comply with any requisition of the Chairperson as to the construction, repair, pavement or cleansing of any latrine, or urinal on or belonging to the premises.

(2) No owner or occupier shall allow the water of any sink, drain, latrine or urinal or any rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter to run down on or to, or be thrown or put upon, any street or into any drain in or along the side of any street except in such manner as shall prevent any avoidable nuisance from any such water, rubbish, filth or other polluted and obnoxious matter.

(3) No person shall, after due provision has been made in this respect under the foregoing provisions of this Chapter for the deposit and removal of the same—

(a) deposit any rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter in any street or on the verandah of any building or on any unoccupied ground alongside any street or on the bank of a water course; or

(b) deposit any filth or other polluted and obnoxious matter in any dustbin or in any vehicle not intended for the removal of the same; or

(c) deposit rubbish in any vehicle or vessel intended for the removal of filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter.

268. Prohibition in respect of air pollutant.—

No owner or occupier of any premises shall allow or cause to be allowed any air pollutant above the standards, laid down under clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 17 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (14 of 1981).

269. Chairperson’s power to get premises scavenged and cleansed.—

If any premises are not properly and regularly scavenged or cleansed or are in a filthy and unwholesome condition, the Chairperson may cause them to be scavenged and cleansed and recover the expenses from the owner or, as the case may be, occupier as an arrear of tax under this Act.

270. Public latrines, urinals, etc.—

(1) The Chairperson shall provide and maintain in proper and convenient places a sufficient number of public latrines and urinals.

(2) Such public latrines and urinals shall be so constructed as to provide separate compartments for each sex and not to be a nuisance, and shall be provided with all necessary conservancy establishments, and shall regularly be cleansed and kept in proper order. 

Latrines and urinals

271. Construction of latrines and urinals.—

(1) It shall not be lawful to construct any latrine or urinal for any premises except with the written permission of the Chairperson and in accordance with such terms not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or any bye-laws made thereunder as he may prescribe

(2) In prescribing any such terms the Chairperson may determine in such case— 

(a) whether the premises shall be served by the service system or by the flush system or partly by the one and partly by the other; and

(b) what shall be the site or position of each latrine or urinal.

(3) If any latrine or urinal is constructed on any premises in contravention of the foregoing provisions, the Chairperson may, after giving not less than ten days‟ notice to the owner or occupier of such premises, alter, reconstruct, close or demolish such latrine or urinal and the expenditure incurred by the Chairperson in so doing shall be recoverable from the owner or occupier as an arrear of tax under this Act.

272. Latrines and urinals, etc., in new buildings.—

(1) It shall not be lawful to erect any building or execute any work on or in relation to such building without providing such latrine accommodation and urinal accommodation and accommodation for bathing or for washing clothes and utensils on each floor of such building as the Chairperson may prescribe.

(2) In prescribing any such accommodation, the Chairperson may determine in each case—

(a) that such building shall be served by the flush system only;

(b) what shall be the site or position of each latrine, urinal, bathing or washing place or site and their number on each floor and their clear internal dimensions. 

(3) It shall not be lawful to erect a residential building composed of separate tenements on the flat system without providing at least one latrine and one bathing or washing place for servants on the ground floor of such building or at any other suitable place in the same premises.

(4) In this section, the expression “to erect a building” has the same meaning as in section 236.

273. Latrines and urinals for labourers, etc.—

Every person employing workmen, labourers or other persons exceeding twenty in number shall provide and maintain for the separate use of persons of each sex so employed, latrines and urinals of such description and number as the Chairperson may by notice require and within such time as may be fixed in the notice and shall keep the same in clean and proper order.

274. Provision of latrines and urinals for markets, etc.—

The Chairperson may by notice require any owner or manager of a market, cart stand, cattle shed, theatre, railway station and other places of public resort within such time as may be specified in such notice to provide and maintain for the separate use of persons of each sex, latrines and urinals of such description and number and in such position as may be specified and to keep the same in clean and proper order.

275. Other provisions as to private latrines.—

The Chairperson may, by written notice—

(a) require the owner or other person having the control of any private latrine or urinal not to put the same to public use; or

(b) require the owner or other person having the control of such private latrine or urinal which in the opinion of the Chairperson constitutes a nuisance, to remove the latrine or the urinal; or

(c) require any person having the control whether as owner, lessee or occupier of any land or building—

(i) to have any latrine provided for the same shut out by a sufficient roof, wall or fence from the view of persons passing by or dwelling in the neighbourhood; or

(ii) to clean in such manner as the Chairperson may prescribe in the notice any latrine or urinal belonging to the land or building; or

(d) where any premises intended or used for human habitation are without any latrine or urinal accommodation or are provided with insufficient latrine or urinal accommodation, require the owner, lessee or occupier of such premises to provide such or such additional latrine or urinal accommodation as he may prescribe, if necessary by causing any part of such premises to be vacated and demolished in accordance with bye-laws made in this behalf.

Removal of congested buildings and buildings unfit for human habitation

276. Removal of congested buildings.—

(1) Where it appears to the Chairperson that any block of buildings is in an unhealthy condition by reasons of the manner in which the buildings are crowded together, or of the narrowness, closeness, or faulty arrangement of streets, or of the want of proper drainage and ventilation, or of the impracticability of cleansing the buildings or other similar cause, he shall cause the block to be inspected to by the officer authorised by him and such officer shall make a report in writing the Chairperson regarding the sanitary condition of the block.

(2) If upon receipt of such report the Chairperson considers that the sanitary condition of the block is likely to cause risk of disease to the inhabitants of the buildings or of the neighbourhood or otherwise to endanger the public health, he shall with the approval of the Council select the buildings which in his opinion should wholly or in part be removed in order to abate the unhealthy condition of the block and may thereupon by notice in writing require the owners of such building remove them within such period as may be specified in the notice:

Provided that before issuing the notice reasonable opportunity shall be afforded to the owners to show cause why the buildings should not be removed:

Provided further that the Chairperson shall make compensation to the owners for any buildings so removed which may have been erected under proper authority.

(3) If a notice under sub-section (2) requiring any owner of a building to remove it is not complied with, then, after the expiration of the time specified in the notice the Chairperson may himself remove or cause to be removed the building required to be removed by the notice and recover from owner of the building the expenses of such removal as an arrear of tax under this Act.

277. Power of Chairperson to require improvement of building unfit for human habitation.—

(1) Where the Chairperson upon information in his possession is satisfied that any building is in any respect unfit for human habitation, he may, unless in his opinion the building is not capable at a reasonable expense of being rendered fit, serve upon the owner of the building a notice requiring him within such time not being less than thirty days as may be specified in the notice to execute the works of improvement specified therein and stating that in his opinion those works will render the building fit for human habitation.

(2) In addition to serving a notice under this section on the owner the Chairperson may serve a copy of the notice on any other person having an interest in the building whether as a lessee, mortgagee or otherwise.

(3) In determining whether a building can be rendered fit for human habitation at a reasonable expense regard shall be had to the estimated cost of the work necessary to render it so fit and the value which it is estimated that the building will have when the works are completed. 

278. Enforcement of notice requiring execution of works of improvement.—

If a notice under section 277 requiring the owner of the building to execute works of improvement is not complied with, then after the expiration of the time specified in the notice the Chairperson may himself do or cause to be done the works required to be done by the notice and recover the expenses incurred in connection therewith as an arrear of tax under this Act.

279. Power of Chairperson to order demolition of buildings unfit for human habitation.—

(1) Where the Chairperson upon any information in his possession is satisfied that any building is unfit for human habitation and is not capable at a reasonable expense of being rendered so fit he shall serve upon the owner of the building and upon any other person having an interest in the building, whether as a lessee, mortgagee or otherwise a notice to show cause within such time as may be specified in the notice as to why an order of demolition of the building should not be made.

(2) If any of the person upon whom a notice has been served under sub-section (1) appears in pursuance thereof before the Chairperson and gives an undertaking to him that such person shall, within a period specified by the Chairperson, execute such works of improvement in relation to the building as will, in the opinion of the Chairperson, render the building fit for human habitation or an undertaking that the building shall not be used for human habitation until the Chairperson on being satisfied that it has been rendered fit for that purpose, cancels the undertaking, the Chairperson shall not make an order of demolition of the building.

(3) If no such undertaking as is mentioned in sub-section (2) is given or if in a case where any such undertaking has been given, any work of improvement to which the undertaking relates is not carried out within the specified period, or the building is at any time used in contravention of the terms of the undertaking, the Chairperson shall, forthwith make an order of demolition of the building requiring that the building shall be vacated within a period to be specified in the order not being less than thirty days from the date of the order, and that it shall be demolished within six weeks after the expiration of that period.

(4) Where an order of demolition of building under this section has been made, the owner of the building or any other person having an interest therein, shall demolish that building within the time specified in that behalf by the order, and if the building is not demolished within that time, the Chairperson shall demolish or cause to be demolished the building and sell the materials thereof.

(5) Any expenses incurred by the Chairperson under sub-section (4) if not satisfied out of the proceeds of the sale of materials of the building shall be recovered from the owner of the building or any other person having an interest therein as an arrear of tax under this Act.

(6) In determining for the purposes of section 277 and this section whether a building is unfit for human habitation, regard shall be had to its condition in respect of the following matters, that is to say,—

(a) repair;

(b) stability;

(c) freedom from damp;

(d) natural light and air;

(e) water supply;

(f) drainage and sanitary conveniences;

(g) facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of rubbish, filth and other polluted matter, and the building shall be deemed to be unfit as aforesaid if it is so far defective, in one or more of the said matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.

(7) For the purpose of section 277, section 278 and this section, “work of improvement” in relation to a building includes any one or more of the following works, namely:—

(a) necessary repairs;

(b) structural alterations;

(c) provision of light points and water taps;

(d) construction of drains, open or covered;

(e) provision of latrines and urinals;

(f) provision of additional or improved fixtures and fittings;

(g) opening up or paving of courtyard;

(h) removal of rubbish, filth and other polluted and obnoxious matter; 

(i) any other work including the demolition of any building or any part thereof which, in the opinion of the Chairperson, is necessary for executing any of the works specified above.

(8) The provisions of section 276, section 277, section 278 and this section shall not apply in relation to any building in any area which has been declared to be a slum area under the Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1956 (96 of 1956).

280. Insanitary huts and sheds.—

Where the Chairperson upon any information in his possession is satisfied that any hut or shed used as a dwelling house or as a stable or for any other purpose, is likely, by reason of its being constructed without a plinth or upon a plinth of insufficient height or without proper means of drainage or on account of the impracticability of scavenging and cleansing it or owing to the manner in which it and other huts or sheds are crowded together, to cause risk of disease to the inmates thereof or to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, or is for any reason likely to endanger public health or safety, he may by notice in writing require the owner or occupier of the hut or shed or the owner or occupier of the land on which the hut or shed stands to remove or alter the hut or shed or carry out such improvement thereof as the Chairperson may deem necessary within such time as may be specified in the notice.

Regulation of washing by washermen

281. Prohibition against washing by washerman.—

(1) The Chairperson may by public notice prohibit the washing of clothes by washermen in the exercise of their callings except at such places as he may appoint for the purpose.

(2) When any such prohibition has been made, no person who is by calling a washerman shall in contravention of such prohibition wash clothes except for himself or for personal and family service or for hire on or within the premises of the hirer, at any place other than a place appointed under sub-section (1). 

Prevention of Dangerous Diseases

282. Obligation to give information of dangerous disease.—

Any person being in charge of, or in attendance, whether as a medical practitioner or otherwise, upon any 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 respecting the existence of such disease to the officer specified by the Chairperson for the said purpose

283. Removal to hospital of patients, suffering from dangerous disease.—

(1) When any person suffering from any dangerous disease is found to be—

(a) without proper lodging or accommodation; or

(b) living in a room or house which he neither owns or pays rent for nor occupies as the guest or relative of any person who owns, or pays rent for it; or

(c) living in a sarai, dharamshala, hotel, boarding house, hostel, guest house, lodging house, club; or

(d) lodged in premises occupied by members of two or more families, the Chairperson or any person authorised by him in this behalf, may on the advice of any medical officer of the rank not inferior to that of a general duty medical officer remove the patient to any hospital or place at which persons suffering from such diseases are received for medical treatment and may do anything necessary for such removal.

(2) The Council shall if required by the Central Government erect an infectious disease hospital of such type and dimension as that Government may direct.

284. Disinfection of buildings and articles.—

Where the Chairperson is of opinion that the cleansing and disinfection of any building or part of a building or of any articles in such building or part which are likely to retain infection, or the renewal of flooring of any building or part of such building, and the renewal of plastering of the walls thereof, would tend to prevent or check the spread of any dangerous disease; he may, by notice in writing, require the owner or occupier to cleanse and disinfect the said building, part or articles, as the case may be, or to renew the said flooring and if necessary, the said plastering also within such time as may be specified in the notice:

Provided that where in the opinion of the Chairperson the owner or occupier is from poverty or any other cause unable effectually to carry out any such requisition, the Chairperson may at the expense of the New Delhi Municipal Fund cleanse and disinfect the building, part or articles, or, as the case may be, renew the flooring and if necessary, the plastering also

285. Destruction of infectious huts or sheds.—

(1) Where the destruction of any hut or shed is in the opinion of the Chairperson necessary to prevent the spread of any dangerous disease, the Chairperson may by notice in writing require the owner to destroy the hut or shed and the materials thereof within such time as may be specified in the notice. 

(2) Where the Chairperson is satisfied that the destruction of any hut or shed is immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing the spread of any dangerous disease, he may order the owner or occupier of the hut or shed to destroy the same forthwith or may himself cause it to be destroyed after giving not less than six hours‟ notice to the owner or occupier.

(3) Compensation may be paid by the Chairperson, in any case which he thinks fit, to any person who sustains substantial loss by the destruction of any such hut or shed, but, except as so allowed by the Chairperson, no claim for compensation shall lie for any loss or damage caused by any exercise of the power conferred by this section.

286. Means of disinfection.—

(1) The Chairperson shall—

(a) provide proper places with necessary attendants and apparatus for the disinfection of conveyances, clothing, bedding and other articles which have been exposed to infection;

(b) cause conveyances, clothing and other articles brought for disinfection to be disinfected either free of charge or on payment of such charges as he may fix.

(2) The Chairperson may notify places at which articles of clothing, bedding and the conveyances or other articles which have been exposed to infection shall be washed and if he does so, no person shall wash any such thing at any place not so notified without having previously disinfected such thing

(3) The Chairperson may direct the destruction of any clothing, bedding or other article likely to retain infection and may give such compensation as he thinks fit for any article so destroyed.

287. Special measures in case of out-break of dangerous or epidemic diseases.—

(1) In the event of New Delhi or any part thereof being visited or threatened by an outbreak of any dangerous disease among the inhabitants thereof or any epidemic disease among any animals therein, the Chairperson, 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 sanction of the Council—

(a) take such special measures; and

(b) by public notice, give such directions to be observed by the public or by any 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 Chairperson immediate measures are necessary, he may take action, without such sanction as aforesaid and if he does so, shall forthwith report such action to the Council.

(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).

 288. Infected clothes not to be sent to washerman or to laundry.—

(1) A person shall not send or take to any washerman or to any laundry or place set apart for the exercise by washerman of their calling, for the purpose of being washed or to any place for the purpose of being cleansed, any cloth or other article which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a dangerous disease unless that cloth or article has been disinfected by or to the satisfaction of the officer authorised in this behalf.

(2) The occupier of any building in which a person is suffering from a dangerous disease shall, if required by the officer authorised by the Chairperson, furnish to him the address of any washerman to whom or any laundry or other place to which clothes and other articles from the building have been, or will be, sent during the continuance of the disease, for the purpose of being washed or cleaned.

289. Contamination and disinfection of public conveyance.—

(1) Whoever—

(a) uses a public conveyance while suffering from a dangerous disease; or

(b) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of a person who is suffering from any dangerous disease; or

(c) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of the corpse of a person who has died from any such disease, shall be bound to take proper precautions against the communication of the disease to other persons using or who may thereafter use the conveyance and to notify such use to the owner, driver, or person in charge of the conveyance, and further report without delay to the Chairperson the number of the conveyance and the name of the person so notified.

(2) Where any person suffering from, or the corpse of any person who has died from, a dangerous disease has been carried in public conveyance which ordinarily plies in New Delhi or any part thereof, the driver thereof shall forthwith report the fact to the Chairperson who shall forthwith cause the conveyance to be disinfected if that has not already been done.

(3) No such conveyance shall be again brought into use until the officer authorised by the Chairperson has granted a certificate stating that it can be used without causing risk of infection.

(4) Whoever fails to make to the Chairperson any report which he is required to make under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

290. Driver of conveyance not bound to carry persons suffering from dangerous disease.—

Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force no owner, driver or person in charge of a public conveyance shall be bound to convey or to allow to be conveyed in such conveyance in or in the vicinity of New Delhi any person suffering from a dangerous disease or the corpse of any person who has died from such disease unless and until such person pays or tenders a sum sufficient to cover any loss and expense which would ordinarily be incurred in disinfecting the conveyance

291. Disinfection of buildings before letting the same.—

(1) Where any building or part of a building is intended to be let in which any person has, within six weeks immediately preceding, been suffering from a dangerous disease, the person letting the building or part shall, before doing so, disinfect the same in such manner as the Chairperson may by general or special notice direct together with all articles therein liable to retain infection.

(2) For the purposes of this section the keeper of a hostel, lodging house, dharamshala, sarai, boarding house, guest house, hotel or club shall be deemed to have let to any person who is admitted as a guest therein that part of the building in which such person is permitted to reside.

292. Disposal of infected articles without disinfection.—

No person shall, without previous disinfection of the same, give, lend, sell, transmit or otherwise dispose of to another person any article or thing which he knows or has reason to believe has been exposed to contamination by any dangerous disease and is likely to be used in or taken into New Delhi or any part thereof.

293. Prohibition of making or selling of food, etc., or washing of clothes by infected persons.—

No person while suffering from, or in circumstances in which he is likely to spread, any dangerous disease, shall—

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

(b) take any part in the business of the washing or carrying of clothes.

294. Power to restrict or prohibit sale of food or drink.—

When New Delhi or any part thereof is visited or threatened by an outbreak of any dangerous disease the Chairperson 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 for human consumption specified in the notice or the sale of any flesh of any description of animal so specified.

295. Control over wells and tanks, etc.—

(1) If the Chairperson is of opinion that the water in any well, tank or other place, is likely, if used for drinking, to endanger, or cause the spread of, any disease, he may—

(a) by public notice, prohibit the removal or use of such water for drinking; or

(b) by notice in writing require the owner or 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 using such water; or

(c) take such other steps as he may consider expedient to prevent the outbreak or spread of any such disease

(2) In the event of New Delhi or any part thereof being visited or threatened by an outbreak or a dangerous disease the officer authorised by the Chairperson in this behalf may, without notice and at any time, inspect and disinfect any well, tank or other place from which water is, or is likely to be, taken for the purposes of drinking and may further take such steps as he may think fit to ensure the purity of the water or to prevent the use of the same for drinking purposes.

296. Duty of persons suffering from dangerous disease.—

No person shall—

(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;

(b) having the care of a person whom he knows to be suffering from a dangerous disease, cause or permit that person to expose other persons to the risk of infection by his presence or conduct in any such street or place as aforesaid;

(c) place or cause to be placed in a 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;

(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.

297. Disposal of infectious corpses where any person has died from any dangerous disease.—

Where any person has died from any dangerous disease the Chairperson may, by notice in writing,—

(a) require any person having charge of the corpse to convey the same to mortuary thereafter to be disposed of in accordance with law, or

(b) prohibit the removal of corpses from the place where death occurred except for the purpose of being burnt, buried or for being conveyed to a mortuary. 

Special conditions regarding essential services

298. Conditions of service of sweepers and certain other class of persons employed in municipal service.—

(1) No person being a sweeper employed by the Council shall in the absence of any contract authorising him so to do and without reasonable cause, resign his employment or absent himself from his duty without having given one month‟s notice to the Chairperson or shall neglect or without reasonable cause refuse to perform his duties.

(2) The Council may by resolution direct that on or from such date as may be specified in the resolution, the provisions of this section shall apply in the case of any specified class of persons employed by the Council whose functions are intimately concerned with public health or safety.

299. Conditions of service of sweepers employed for doing house scavenging.—

No sweeper, being employed for doing house scavenging of any building shall discontinue to do such house scavenging without reasonable cause or without having fourteen days‟ notice to his employer.

Burning and burial grounds

300. Power to call for information regarding burning and burial grounds.—

The Chairperson may, by notice in writing, require the owner or person in charge of any burning or burial ground to supply such information as may be specified in the notice concerning the condition, management or position of such ground.

301. Permission for use of new burning or burial ground.—

(1) No place which has not been used as a burning or burial ground before the commencement of this Act shall be so used without the permission in writing of the Chairperson.

(2) Such permission may be granted subject to any conditions which the Chairperson may think fit to impose for the purpose of preventing any annoyance to, or danger to the health of, any person residing in the neighbourhood.

302. Power to require closing of burning and burial grounds.—

(1) Where the Chairperson, after making or causing to be made local inquiry is of opinion that any burning or burial ground has become offensive to, or dangerous to the health of, persons residing in the neighbourhood, he may, with the previous sanction of the Council, by notice in writing, require the owner or person in charge of such ground to close the same from such date as may be specified in the notice.

(2) No corpse shall be burnt or buried at the burning or burial ground in respect of which a notice has been issued under this section.

303. Removal of corpses.—

The Chairperson may by public notice prescribe routes by which alone corpses may be removed to burning or burial ground.

Disposal of dead animals

304. Disposal of dead animals.—

Whenever any animal in the charge of any person dies, the person in charge thereof shall within twenty-four hours either—

(a) convey the carcass to a place provided or appointed under section 263 for the final disposal of the carcasses of dead animals, or (b) give notice of the death to the Chairperson whereupon he shall cause the carcass to be disposed of on such fee as may be prescribed by the Council.