Section 3(4) in Tamil Nadu Farmers' Management of Irrigation Systems Rules, 2002
(4)(a)Every Water Users Association shall have the name of a village as its distinct name in which the major extent of the ayacut is situated or any other name as decided by the concerned members of the Water Users Association based on consensus. If there is more than one association in a village, then, such association shall be called by adding numerals to the distinct name. In case of irrigation tanks, the Water Users Association may be named by the name of the tank, if decided by the ayacutdars by consensus.(b)The area of operation for each Water Users Association shall be served by a distinct segment of the irrigation system and with a control structure or a mechanism at its head for supply of allocated or designed quantity of water for that operation area.(c)Such delineated area may have a branch canal, or a major distributory divided into suitable reaches based on hydraulic boundary one or more distributaries or direct sluices or a combination thereof serving its command. It shall also have a distinctly demarcated boundary which could be a drain, or a bund or an uncommandable land.(d)(i)In case of major and medium irrigation systems, such delineated Water Users Association areas shall be more than one.(ii)[ In case of minor irrigation systems, especially irrigation tanks, the minimum area for a Water Users Association may be maintained as 40 hectares and above keeping the area under each territorial constituency according to site conditions based on hydraulic boundaries.] [Substituted by G. O. Ms. No. 657, Public Works Department, dated the 15th December 2003.](iii)[Omitted by G. O. Ms. No. 657, Public Works Department, dated the 15th December 2003.](e)The area of operation of the Water Users Association shall, as far as possible, be within the limits of a village or contiguous villages situated within a taluk so as to ensure administrative viability. In exceptional cases, the Water Users Associations area may be extended to more than one taluk or district.
