ON-FARM WATER MANAGEMENT AND WATER USERS’ ASSOCIATIONS ORDINANCE, 1981

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THE ON-FARM WATER MANAGEMENT AND WATER 
USERS’ ASSOCIATIONS ORDINANCE, 1981 
(V of 1981) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Field Officer to direct irrigators to re-construct, etc. the watercourse 
4. Future maintenance of a watercourse, etc 
5. Field officer to check maintenance of watercourse 
6. Formation and registration of Association 
7. Association to be a body corporate 
8. Certificate of registration to be conclusive evidence 
9. Disputes 
10. Cancellation of registration 
11. Liability of persons organizing or managing an Association 
12. Obstruction, an offence 
13. Power of Collector 
14. Power to make rules 
15. Ordinance to over-ride other laws 
TEXT 
1
THE ON-FARM WATER MANAGEMENT AND WATER USERS’ 
ASSOCIATIONS ORDINANCE, 1981 
(V of 1981) 
[22nd April, 1981] 
An 
Ordinance 
to provide for on-farm water management, conservation and optimum utilization of 
irrigation water sources and formation of water users’ associations in the Province. 
Preamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for on -farm water management, 
conservation and optimum utilization of irrigation wat er sources, formation of water 
users’ associations and matters ancillary thereto; 
 NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Proclamation of the fifth day of July, 
1977, read with the Laws (Continuance in Force) Order, 1977  (CMLA Order 1 of 
1977), the Governor o f the Punjab is pleased to make and  promulgate the following 
Ordinance:– 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. – (1) This Ordinance may be called 
the On-Farm Water Management and Water Users’ Associations Ordinance, 1981. 
 (2) It extends to the whole of the Province of the Punjab. 
 (3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.– (1) In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires, the 
following words and expressions shall have the meaning hereby respectively 
assigned to them:- 
(i) “Association” means a Water Users’ Association (Anjuman -e-
Abpashan) registered under the Ordinance; 
2
[(ii) “Field Officer” means and includes the District Officer On -Farm Water 
Management or any other officer empowered as such by the 
Government 
3
[;] ] 
(iii) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(iv) “irrigator”, in respect of any land which is irrigated from a watercourse, 
means any person for the time being directly deriving benefit by such 
irrigation, and includes a land owner, tenant or lessee of such land; 
                                                           
1This Ordinance was promulgated by the Governor of the Punjab on 19th April, 1981; and, published in the Punjab Gazette, 
(Extraordinary), dated 22nd April, 1981; pages 295-A to 295-H. 
2Substituted by the On-Farm Water Management and Water User’s Associations (Amendment) Ordinance, 2001 (XXV of 2001), 
w.e.f.13.10.2001, s.2; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), pages 1713 -1714, which will remain in force under 
the Provisional Constitution (Amendment) Order 1999 (9 of 1999), Article 4, notwithstanding the maximum limit of three months 
prescribed under Article 128 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 
3Misprinted in the Gazette as “full-stop”. 
(v) “Watercourse” means any channel which is supplied with water from a 
canal, but which is not maintained at the cost of Government and such 
subsidiary works belonging to any such channel. 
(vi) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules framed under the Ordinance; 
(vii) “improvement” means and includes– 
(a) demolishing of the old watercourse; 
(b) removing of vegetation including trees, etc. growing in the way 
of a watercourse sanctioned by Government; 
(c) unloading of the banks of the watercourse by physica l removal 
of the silt deposit; 
(d) clearance of silt from the bed of the watercourse; 
(e) re-alignment of the watercourse based on engineering survey 
and design; 
(f) installation of pacca nakkas at sanctioned sites; 
(g) construction of culverts on the crossings; 
(h) brick-lining of weak reaches of the watercourse up to certain 
fixed limit; and 
(i) construction, reconstruction or maintenance of buffalo wallows, 
where required. 
 (2) Words and expressions used in the Ordinance but not defined herein 
shall have the same meanings as are respectively assigned to them in the Canal and 
Drainage Act, 1873 (VIII of 1873) and the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967 (W.P. Act 
XVII of 1967). 
3. Field Officer to direct irrigators to re-construct, etc. the watercourse.– (1) 
Where a Field Officer, on receipt of an application to this effect or on the basis of his 
own observation, is of the opinion that a watercourse needs reconstruction, 
maintenance, or improvement, he may pass an order directing the irrigators of the 
watercourse jointly responsible with others for the re-construction or maintenance of a 
watercourse or jointly making use of a watercourse with others to reconstruct, maintain 
or improve the watercourse within the period specified in that order. 
 (2) Where an order is  passed under sub -section (1), every irrigator jointly 
responsible with others for the re -construction, maintenance or improvement of a 
watercourse, or jointly making use of a watercourse with others shall be responsible 
to execute his share of work necess ary for, and be liable to pay his share of the cost 
of, such reconstruction, maintenance or improvement and if the share of his liability 
as determined by the Field Officer is not paid by him within such period as is 
specified by the Field O fficer, the same shall be recoverable from that person as if it 
were an arrear of land revenue. 
 (3) If on receipt of an order under sub -section (1), the persons to whom it 
is addressed do not, within the period specified, reconstruct, maintain or improve the 
watercourse to the satisfaction of the Field Officer, he may take necessary steps for 
the reconstruction, maintenance or improvement of the watercourse. 
 (4) Where the irrigators of a watercourse jointly responsible with others for 
the reconstruction, maintenance or improvement of a watercourse or jointly making 
use of a watercourse with others, have formed themselves into an Association and 
the same is registered with the Field Officer under the provisions of the Ordinance, 
he shall, before undertaking the reconstruc tion, maintenance or improvement of the 
watercourse, provide an opportunity to the Association to carry out the job of re -
construction, maintenance or improvement of the watercourse. 
 (5) If an Association, to whom the work of reconstruction, maintenance o r 
improvement of the watercourse h as been entrusted by the Field O fficer does not 
execute the work according to the specifications laid down by the Field Officer or does 
not commence or complete the execution of the work within t he time specified by the 
Field Officer, the Field Officer may cancel the entrustment of the job to the Association 
and take necessary steps to get the reconstruction, maintenance or improvement of the 
watercourse done at the cost of the irrigators. 
4. Future maintenance of a waterco urse, etc.– (1) Where a watercourse has 
been re-constructed or improved by an Association the Field O fficer may, subject to 
such conditions as may be laid down by him, entrust the future maintenance of the 
watercourse to that Association, on behalf of all the irrigators of the watercourse. 
 (2) Where a watercourse has been re -constructed or improved by an 
Association or where the future maintenance of the watercourse has been entrusted 
to it under sub -section (1), it shall carry out the works to  the satisfaction of the Field 
Officer and shall be entitled to recover proportionate cost of reconstruction, 
improvement or maintenance, as the case may be, from the members of the 
Associations as well as the irrigators who are not members of the Association. 
 (3) If any of the irrigators, whether he is a member of the Association or 
not, refuses or fails to pay to the Association his share of the cost of re -construction, 
maintenance or improvement as determined by the Association, the same s hall be 
recovered by the F ield O fficer as an arrear of land revenue and paid to the 
Association. 
5. Field Officer to check maintenance of watercourse. – The Field Officer 
shall, from time to time, make spot -inspection of the watercourse to satisfy himself 
that it is being properly m aintained and may issue such directions for the proper 
maintenance of a watercourse as may be considered necessary. 
6. Formation and registration of Association. – (1) Where the majority of the 
irrigators of a watercourse agree to associate in the work of r econstruction, 
maintenance or improvement of the watercourse, they may form an Association to 
be known as Water Users’ Association (Anjuman-e-Abpashan). 
 (2) An Association seeking registration under the Ordinance shall make an 
application to the Field Officer in the prescribed manner and on the prescribed form 
containing inter-alia, the following particulars:– 
(i) a list of members of the Association with full particulars thereof; 
(ii) a copy of the bye-laws of the Association; 
(iii) the names and other pa rticulars of the office bearers of the 
Association; and 
(iv) a list of all the irrigators jointly responsible for the re -construction, 
maintenance or improvement of a watercourse or jointly making use of 
watercourse with others. 
 (3) On receipt of an appli cation un der sub -section (2), the Field O fficer 
shall convene a meeting of all the irrigators of the watercourse. 
 (4) If the Field Officer is satisfied that the list of all the irrigators of the 
watercourse, as furnished by the Association, is correct and  that the Association 
meets all the requirements as laid down in sub -section (5), he may register the 
Association for the purposes of the Ordinance and shall issue to the Association a 
certificate of registration on the prescribed form. 
 (5) No Association shall be registered under the Ordinance unless– 
(i) fifty-one per cent of the total number of irrigators of the watercourse are 
members of the Association; 
(ii) the bye -laws framed by the Association are not inconsistent with the 
Ordinance and the rules; 
(iii) the office bearers and members of the Managing Committee of the 
Association have been duly elected in accordance with the bye -laws of 
the Association; and 
(iv) the Association is maintaining a Bank Account in a scheduled bank. 
 (6) The decision of th e Field O fficer granting or refusing to grant 
registration under the Ordinance shall be final and shall not be called in question in 
any court or before any authority. 
 (7) Where a question arises as to whether a particular person is or is not 
an irrigator, the decision of the Field Officer shall be final. 
 (8) The Field O fficer shall maintain a register containing such particulars 
as may be prescribed, of all the certificates of registration issued by him under the 
Ordinance. 
7. Association to be a body co rporate.– The registration of an Association 
under the Ordinance shall render it a body corporate in the name under which it is 
registered with perpetual succession and a common seal with power to hold 
property, enter into contracts, institute and defend s uits and other legal proceedings 
and to do all acts necessary for the purposes of carrying out its functions. 
8. Certificate of registration to be conclusive evidence. – A certificate of 
registration issued to an Association under the Ordinance shall be con clusive 
evidence of the fact that the Association is duly registered under the Ordinance 
unless it is proved that the registration of the Association has been cancelled. 
9. Disputes.– (1) If any dispute touching the business of an Association arises 
between– 
(a) members or past members of an Association or persons claiming 
through members or past members; 
(b) members or past members or persons so claiming and any past or 
present officer, agent or servant of an Association; 
(c) An Association or its Managing  Committee and any past or present 
member of the Association or between an Association or its Managing 
Committee and any past or present officer, agent or servant of the 
Association, of a surety of such officer, agent or servant whether such 
surety is or is not a member of the Association; and 
(d) one Association and another Association; 
  it shall be referred to the Field Officer of the area for decision. 
 (2) The Field Officer may hear the dispute and decide the matter. 
(3) The decision of the Field Officer shall be final. 
10. Cancellation of Registration.– (1) The registration of an Association  may be 
cancelled by the Field Officer if– 
(i) the membership of the Association has been reduced to less than fifty -
one percent of the total number of irrigators on the watercourse; or 
(ii) not less than three -fourths of the members of Association at a special 
general body meeting called for the purpose pass a resolution for the 
winding up of Association and move an application to the Field Officer 
to that effect and the Field Officer after considering the application and 
making such inquiries as he may deem fit, is of the opinion that the 
registration of the Association ought to be cancelled; 
(iii) the Association has refused or has failed to carry out the work 
entrusted to it by the Field Officer under the provisions of the 
Ordinance . 
4
[Provided that no order of cancellation shall be passed without giving an 
opportunity of being heard to the Association.] 
 (2) The Field officer while ordering the cancellation of the registration of an 
Association may– 
(a) order any person, bank or body who holds any money, 
securities or other assets of the Association, not to part with 
such money, securities and assets without the previous 
permission, in writing of the Field officer; 
(b) appoint a person to wind up the affairs of the Association with 
power to 
5
[institute] and defend suits and other legal proceedings 
on behalf of the Association and to make such orders and take 
such actions as may appear to him to be necessary for the  
purpose; 
(c) order any money, securities or assets, remaining after 
satisfaction of the liabilities of the Association to be paid to the 
members; and 
                                                           
4Added by the On -Farm Water Management and Water Users  Association (Amendment) Ordinance, 1984  (XXXIV of 1984) , 
w.e.f.17.12.1984, s.2; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), pages 2057-2058. 
5Misprinted in the Gazette as “intitute”. 
(d) order any article, vehicle, instrument or other property provided 
to the Association by any Governmen t agency or department to 
be handed over to such other Association or a person as may 
be specified. 
11. Liability of persons organising or managing an Association.– (1) Where it 
appears to the Field Officer that any person who has taken part in the organization or 
management of an Association or any past or present office bearers or members of 
the Managing Committee or an officer of the Association has misapplied, 
misappropriated or retained any money or property of the Associ ation or has been 
guilty of mis -feasance or breach of trust in relation to the Association , the Field 
Officer may on his own motion and shall, on the application of any creditor or 
contributory, examine into the conduct of such person and make an order requiring 
him to repay or restore the money or property or any part thereof respectively with 
interest at such rate as the Field Officer thinks fit or to contribute such sum to the 
assets of the Association by way of compensation in regard to the mis -application, 
misappropriation, retentio n, mis -feasance o r breach of trust as the Field O fficer 
thinks just . 
 
6
[Provided that no order under sub -section (1) shall be passed without giving 
an opportunity of being heard to the person to be affected thereby.]  
(2) If any person referred to in sub -section (1) does not comply with the 
order of the Field Officer, the amount involved may be recovered from him by the 
Field Officer as an arrear of land revenue. 
 (3) This section shall apply notwithstanding that the act is one for which 
the offender may be criminally responsible. 
12. Obstruction an offence.– Any person who willfully causes obstruction in the 
work of reconstruction, maintenance or improvement of a watercourse undertaken by 
an Association under the provisions of the Ordinance or by any perso n employed by 
the Association for such purpose shall be deemed to be obstructing a public servant in 
the discharge of his public functions and shall be punished accordingly. 
13. Power of Collector. – Government may by notification in the official Gazette, 
invest a Field Officer with the powers of a Collector for the recovery of an amount 
due against a person under the Ordinance as arrear of land revenue under the 
Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967 (W.P. Act No. XVII of 1967). 
14. Power to make rules. – (1) Government may make rules for carrying out the 
purposes of the Ordinance. 
 (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing 
power such rules may provide for– 
(i) matters which may or may not be provided in the bye -laws of an 
Association for purposes of registration under the Ordinance or the 
standard bye-laws which may be adopted by an Association; 
                                                           
6Added by the On -Farm Water Management and Water Users Association (Amendment) Ordinance, 1984 (XXXIV o f 1984), 
w.e.f.17.12.1984, s.2; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), pages 2057-2058. 
(ii) the manner in which and the authority by whom the audit of accounts of 
an Association is to be conducted; and 
(iii) any other matter ancillary or incidental thereto. 
15. Ordinance to over -ride other laws. – The provisions of the Ordinance and 
the rules made thereunder shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary 
contained in any other law for the time being in force.