264. Power of Chief Municipal Officer to cleanse, disinfect, destroy or control places of infection.
(1)The Chief Municipal Officer may cleanse, or disinfect, or cause destruction of, any building, hut or shed, water-source or lodging and eating house, if, in his opinion, such cleansing, disinfection or destruction would tend to prevent or check the spread of any dangerous disease, and, in case of emergency, he may cause such cleansing or disinfection to be done by the employees of the Municipality at the cost of the owner or the occupier of such place, or, at the cost of the Municipality, if, in his opinion, such owner or the occupier is unable to pay the cost owing to poverty.(2)Where the Chief Municipal Officer is satisfied that the destruction of any building, hut or shed, or clothing, or article is immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing the spread of any dangerous disease, he may cause such building, hut or shed, or clothing, or article to be destroyed:Provided that compensation may be paid by the Chief Municipal Officer to any person who sustains substantial loss by the destruction of such building, hut or shed, or clothing, or article.(3)The Chief Municipal Officer may, on being satisfied that it is in the public interest so to do, by order, in writing, direct that any lodging house or any place in the municipal area where articles of food and drink are sold, or prepared, stored or exposed for sale, being a lodging house or place in which a case of dangerous disease exist or has recently occurred shall be closed for such period as may be specified in the order:Provided that such lodging house or place may be declared to be open, if the Municipal Health Officer certifies that it has been disinfected or is free from infection.(4)The Chief Municipal Officer or any person authorized by the Municipality may, at all reasonable times, enter into, and inspect, any market, building, shop, stall or place, used for the sale of food or drink, as a slaughterhouse, or for the sale of drugs, and inspect and examine any food, drink, animal or drug, which may be therein and, if any article of food or drink, animal or drug therein, intended for the consumption of persons, appears to be unfit therefore, he may, by notice, restrict the sale of such food, drink, animal or drug, in such manner, and for such period, as he may deem fit.(5)If the Chief Municipal Officer is of the opinion that the water in any well, tank, or other place in the municipal area is likely to cause the spread of any disease, he may, by notice, in writing, prohibit the removal or use of such water for drinking, and require the owner or the person having control of such well, tank, or other place to take such steps as may be required by the notice to prevent the public from having access to, or from using, such water and may take such other steps as he may consider expedient to prevent the outbreak or spread of such disease:Provided that in the case of an emergency, the Chief Municipal Officer or any person authorized by him in this behalf may, with or 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 purpose of preventing the spread of any dangerous disease.
