Water Resource Board (Amendment) Act, No. 42 of 1999

9Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 [Internet Version] PARLIAMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA WATER RESOURCES BOARD (AMENDMENT) ACT, No. 42 OF 1999 [Certified on 30th November , 1999] Printed on the Order of Government Published as a Supplement to Part II of the Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka of 3rd December , 1999. PRINTED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, SRI LANKA . TO BE PURCHASED AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS BUREAU, COLOMBO 01 Price: Rs. 6. 75 Postage: Rs.3.50 1Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 [Certified on 30th November, 1999] L.D.— O. 27/98. AN ACT TO AMEND THE WATER RESOURCES BOARD ACT, NO. 29 OF 1964 BE it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows : 1. This Act may be cited as the Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No. 42 of 1999. 2. Section 12 of the Water Resources Board Act, No.29 of 1964 (hereinafter referred to as the “ principal enactment”) is hereby repealed and the following section substituted there for : 12. (1) It shall be the duty of the Board to advise the Minister on the following matters, and on any other matter that is referred to the Board for advice by the Minister : (a) the control, regulation and development (including the conservation and utilization), of the water resources of the country ; (b) the prevention of the pollution of rivers, streams and other water resources ; (c) the formulation of national policies relating to the control and use of the water resources of the country with the following objectives in view : (i) the multi-purpose development and use of water resources ; H - 022545 “Duties of the Board. Short Title. Replacement of section 12 of Act No.29 of 1964. 2 Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 (ii) the short- term and long- term provision of water resources for domestic supplies and industrial supplies ; (iii) the control of salinity ; (iv) any other like objective ; (d) the preparation of comprehensive and integrated plans for the conservation, utilization, control and development of the groundwater resources of the country ; (e) the co- ordination of the activities of government departments, local authorities and public corporations, in regard to surveys of basic data and other investigations, relating to hydrogeology ; (f) the analysis of reports based on investigations, statistical surveys, plans and proposals relating to the groundwater resources of the country made by government departments, local authorities and public corporations ; (g) the co-ordination of projects undertaken by government departments, local authorities and public corporations, relating to the conservation, utilization and development of the subterranean water resources of the country, and the assessment of the possibilities, benefits and economic feasibility of such projects ; 3Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 (h) any other suitable measures to be taken by the Government for the proper control and economic use of groundwater. (2) The Board may undertake such investigations and surveys as would enable it to collect the data and information necessary to advise the Minister on the matters specified in sub-section (1) of this section. (3) The Board may carry out such other activities, for payment or otherwise, as would enable it to effectually perform its duties under subsection (1) of this section. The activities which the Board may carry out shall include the following : (a) carrying out of feasibility studies on the availability of ground water resources ; (b) carrying out of hydrogeological investigations to identify ground water sites for deep tube wells and agro wells ; (c) the construction of tube wells in a scientific manner to enable the extraction of groundwater for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes ; (d) the drilling of bore holes to investigate the sub surface strata.”. 3. Section 14 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefore of the following subsection : Amendment of section 14 of the principal enactment. 4 Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 “(1) There shall be a Committee which shall be called the “Inter-departmental Advisory Committee to the Water Resources Board” (hereinafter referred to as the “Advisory Committee”) consisting of (a) the Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the Water Resources Board has been assigned ; (b) The Additional Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the Water Resources Board has been assigned ; (c) The Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the subject of Health has been assigned or his nominee ; (d) The Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the subject of Indigenous Medicine has been assigned or his nominee ; (e) The Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the subject of Local Government has been assigned or his nominee ; (f) The Secretary to the Ministry of the Minister to whom the subject of Provincial Councils has been assigned or his nominee ; (g) The Director- General of Irrigation ; (h) The Chairman, of the Ceylon Electricity Board established by the Ceylon Electricity Board Act, No. 17 of 1969 ; (i) The Chairman, of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau established by the Mines and Minerals Act, No.33 of 1992 ; (j) The Director - General of the Department of Agriculture ; (k) The Land Commissioner ; 5Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 (l) The Surveyor- General ; (m) The Commissioner of Agrarian Services ; (n) The Director- General of the Department of National Planning ; (o) The Chairman, of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board established by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board Act, No.2 of 1974 ; (p) The Conservator of Forests ; (q) The Chairman, of the Road Development Authority, established by the Road Development Authority Act, No.73 of 1981 or his nominee ; and (r) The General Manager, Sri Lanka Railways.”. 4. Section 20 of the principal enactment is hereby amended in subsection (1) of that section, by the substitution for the words “five hundred rupees” or the words “ five thousand rupees”. 5. Section 21 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows : (a) “by the substitution for the definition of the expres sion “local authority” of the following definition : “local authority” means any Municipal Council, Urban Council or Pradeshiya Sabha and includes any other authority created or established by or under any law to exercise, discharge and perform powers, functions and duties corresponding to, or similar to, the powers, duties and functions exercised, performed and discharged by any such Council or Sabha ;” : and Amendment of section 20 of the principal enactment. Amendment of section 21 of the principal enactment 6 Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 (b) by the substitution, in the definition of the expression “Local Government Service” for the words “Local Government Service Ordinance” of the words “ Local Government Service Act, No.16 of 1974” 6. The principal enactment is hereby amended in the provision specified in Column I of the Schedule to this Act, by the substitution, for the word or expression specified in the corresponding entry in Column II of that Schedule, of the word or expression specified in the corresponding entry in Column III of that Schedule. 7. In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall pre vail. Amendment of certain provisions of the principal enactment Sinhala text to Prevail in case of inconsisitency 7Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 SCHEDULE (Section 6) Column 1 Column 11 Column III 4 (5) Ceylon Sri Lanka 5 (2) Ceylon Sri Lanka 9 (2) Secretary to the Secretary to the Ministry of the Treasury Minister in charge of the subject of Public Administration 11 Ceylon Sri Lanka 13 Ceylon Sri Lanka 14 (4) Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of the Secretary Minister in charge of the Water Resources Board 14 (5) Permanent Secretary to the Minisrty of the Secretary Minister in charge of the Water Resources Board 17 (3) (c) The Senate and Parliament the House of Representatives 19 (1) The Senate and Parliament the House of Represenatatives 19 (3) The Senate and Parliament the House of Representatives 8 Water Resources Board (Amendment) Act, No.42 of 1999 Annual subscription of English Bills and Acts of the Parliament Rs.885 (Local). Rs.1,180 (Foreign). Payable to the SUPERINTENDENT. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS BUREAU, No. 32, TRANSWORKS HOUSE, LOTUS ROAD, COLOMBO 01 before 15th December each year in respect of the year following.