The following words shall, for the purposes of this Act, have the meanings hereby declared, save where, from the context, a contrary intention appears :-"Collector" means any Revenue-officer in independent charge of a district or portion of a district, or specially appointed by the [State] [Word substituted by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950.] Government of [West Bengal] [Words substituted by the Indian Independence (Adaptation of Bengal And Punjab Acts) Order, 1948.] to perform the functions of a Collector under this Act:"district" means the local area throughout which a Collector is authorised to exercise his ordinary functions :"embankment" includes-every bank, dam, wall and dyke made or used for excluding water from, or for retaining water upon, any land;every sluice, spur, groyne, training-wall, [berm] [Word inserted by Bengal Act 1 of 1931] or other work annexed to, or portion of, any such embankment;every bank, dam, dyke, wall, groyne or spur made or erected for the protection of any such embankment or of any land from erosion or overflow by or of rivers, tides, waves or waters :and also all buildings intended for purposes of inspection and supervision :"estate" means any land or share-in land included under one entry on the general register of revenue-paying lands and of revenue-free land prepared and maintained by the Collector of a district under the Land Registration Act, 1876, or any similar law for the time being in force:"land" includes interests in land and benefits arising out of land, and things attached to the earth, or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth:"public embankment" means an embankment maintained by the [servants of the Government] [Words substituted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 and the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950, respectively.] :"public water-course" means a water-course under the charge of the [servants of the Government] [Words substituted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 and the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950, respectively.] :"section" means' a section of this Act :"tenure" includes all interest in land which are held permanently at a fixed rental, or which are held rent-free, other than estates as above defined :"the Engineer" means the Engineer in charge of the public embankments of the district or any part thereof, or any Engineer specially appointed by the [State Government] [Words substituted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 and the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950, respectively.] to perform the function of an Engineer under this Act in respect of any tract of country or any works:"water-course" includes a line of drainage, weir, culvert, pipe or other channel, whether natural or artificial, for the passage of water :"zamindar" means all or any of the holders of an estate : and, where two or more zamindars are jointly holders thereof, they shall be jointly and severally liable under this Act.Explanation. - For the purposes of Part VI [the State Government] [Words substituted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 and the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950, respectively.] shall be deemed to zamindar-(a)of every estate of which the zamindari title is not vested elsewhere than in the [Government] [Words substituted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 and the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950, respectively.];(b)of every estate which is let in farm or held khas under the provisions of section 43 of Regulation 8 of 1793 in consequence of the proprietor refusing or omitting to engage for the settlement thereof.
