IRRIGATION

CHAPTER 72:04
IRRIGATION

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
NATIONAL IRRIGATION POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

    3.    Policy to rank paramount

    4.    Publication and revision of Policy

PART III
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MALAWI IRRIGATION BOARD

    5.    Establishment of the Malawi Irrigation Board

    6.    Composition of the Board

    7.    Tenure of office and vacancies

    8.    Allowances and expenses of members

    9.    Policy directions

    10.    Proceedings of the Board

    11.    Committees of the Board

    12.    Minutes of meetings

    13.    Disclosure of interests by members

    14.    Protection of members

    15.    Invited persons

    16.    Oath of secrecy

    17.    Prohibition of publication or disclosure of information by unauthorized persons

PART IV
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE BOARD

    18.    Functions of the Board

    19.    Powers of the Board

PART V
THE SECRETARIAT OF THE BOARD

    20.    Secretariat of the Board

    21.    Executive Secretary of the Board

    22.    Other employees

    23.    Disclosure of interests by employees, etc.

    24.    Functions of the Secretariat of the Board

PART VI
IRRIGATION FUND

    25.    Establishment of the Irrigation Fund

    26.    The Fund to vest in the Minister

    27.    Advances to the Fund

    28.    Objects of the Fund

    29.    Application of the Fund

    30.    Books and other records of accounts, audit and reports of the Fund

    31.    Holdings of the Fund

    32.    Financial year

    33.    Levy

PART VII
LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

    34.    Purpose of this Part

    35.    Irrigation management agreement

    36.    Minister may make rules

    37.    Incentives to farmers

    38.    Rectification order

PART VIII
REGISTRATION OF IRRIGATION CONSULTANTS

    39.    Restriction on engagement of irrigation consultants

    40.    Register

    41.    Qualification for registration as an irrigation consultant

    42.    Striking out

    43.    Unauthorized entry, etc., in the Register

    44.    Remuneration not recoverable by unregistered persons

PART IX
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

    45.    Wilful damage, etc., of canals

    46.    Destructive practices

    47.    Setting or permitting fire

    48.    Encroachment prohibited

    49.    Applying prohibited chemicals and substances

PART X
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

    50.    Secrecy to be observed

    51.    Failure to comply with directives, etc.

    52.    General penalty

    53.    Appeals

    54.    Keeping of records

    55.    Regulations

16 of 2001
G.N. 2/2013

    An Act to make provision for the sustainable development and management of irrigation, protection of the environment from irrigation related degradations, establishment of the National Irrigation Board and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Irrigation Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “Board” means the National Irrigation Board established under section 5;

    “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board who is elected under section 6 (3);

    “committee” means a committee of the Board established under section 11;

    “drainage” means removal of excess surface and ground water from agricultural land;

    “existing Government smallholder irrigation scheme” means a smallholder irrigation scheme specified in the Schedule;

    “Executive Secretary” means the Executive Secretary of the Board who is appointed under section 21;

    “farm” includes garden, plot or any other agricultural holding;

    “farmer” means an owner or subsector of an agricultural holding or a tenant;

    “Fund” means the Irrigation Fund established under section 25;

    “immediate family member”, in relation to any person, means that person’s spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, grandchild or grand parent;

    “irrigation” means application of water, confined in time and space, enabling satisfaction of water requirements of a crop at a given time of its vegetative cycle or to bring the soil to the desired moisture level outside the vegetative cycle and, in the case of a field, includes one or more water applications per season;

    “irrigation consultant” means any person engaged to carry out civil works related to irrigation and drainage;

    “irrigation management authority” means any local community organization established for the purpose of promoting local participation in the development and management of irrigation and includes any irrigation scheme, club, cooperative or association;

    “irrigation scheme” means a systematic and orderly irrigation programme covering a defined area of land regardless of the type or system of irrigation employed;

    “member” means a member of the Board;

    “Policy” means National Irrigation Policy and Development Strategy;

    “public watercourse” means a public watercourse which is commonly used for irrigation; and

    “Register” means the register kept by the Board under section 40.

PART II
NATIONAL IRRIGATION POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

3.    Policy to rank paramount

    Every public officer and any authority in Malawi…