Section 66 in The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1978
66. Power to carry out works, remove encroachments, sell unclaimed materials, etc.
(1)It shall be lawful for the Board-(i)to carry out any work required to be carried out under this Act or any regulation or other instrument made thereunder, which the owner or occupier or other person responsible therefor has failed to carry out and recover the cost and expenses therefor from the owner or occupier;(ii)to remove any material, construction, obstruction or encroachment which is deposited or made in contravention of any provision of this Act or any regulation or other instrument made thereunder;(iii)to clear materials, trees, shrubs, plants and other things which have been taken down or cut pursuant to any provision of this Act or any regulation or other instrument made thereunder;(iv)to treat any unauthorised encroachment on Board's land as encroachment on Government land and have, such encroachment removed, and any person causing the encroachment evicted under the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachments Act, 1905 (Tamil Nadu Act III of 1905) and the(d)ascertaining whether there has been any contravention of any provisions of this Act or any regulations or instrument made thereunder;(e)making any inquiry, inspection, examination, measurement, valuation or survey authorised or required by or under this Act, or necessary for the proper administration of this Act; or(f)generally for discharging efficiently the functions entrusted to the Board under this Act.(3)The Board shall not acquire any title to, or any right other than user, to the land, building or immovable property (other than property belonging to the Board) in respect of which any action has been taken under this section, and before commencing any action under this section, the authorised authority shall except in the case of an emergency give not less than twenty-four hours notice in writing of its intention to do so to the owner or occupier:Provided that the authorised authority shall, except in the case of an emergency, obtain the prior permission of the authority concerned where the land, building, or immovable property is owned by, and is in the possession of, such authority.(4)While exercising any power conferred under this section, the authorised authority shall cause as little damage as possible to any property and the Board shall pay compensation to all persons interested in any such property for any damage sustained by them in consequence of the exercise of such power.
