State Act

The Maharashtra Irrigation Act, 1976

19. Whenever it appears to the Appropriate Authority that injury to the public health or public convenience or to any canal or to any land for which irrigation from a canal is available, has arisen or may arise from the obstruction of any river, stream or natural drainage-course, the Appropriate Authority may, by notification in the Official Gazette, prohibit within limits to be defined in such notification, the formation of any such obstruction, or may, within such limits, order the removal or other modification of such obstruction. The contents of the notification shall also be published in a newspaper having wide circulation within such limits. Thereupon, so much of the said river, stream or natural drainage-channel, as is comprised within such limits, shall be held to be a drainage work as defined in section 2.