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Chapter: | 132
 | Title: | PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES ORDINANCE | Gazette Number: | |
| Section: | 13 | Heading: | Cleansing and covering of offensive ditches, drains, etc. | Version Date: | 30/06/1997 |
(1) The Authority-
- (a) may cleanse, drain, enclose, cover or fill up, or cause to be cleansed, drained, enclosed or covered or filled up, any pond, pool, open ditch, drain, watercourse, cesspool, well, or place containing or used for the collection of any drainage, filth, water, matter or thing of an offensive nature or likely to be prejudicial to health; or
(b) may cause notice to be served on the person causing, or likely to cause, any such nuisance or on the owner or occupier of any premises whereon any such nuisance exists requiring him, within the time specified in the notice, to drain, cleanse, enclose, cover or fill up the pond, pool, ditch, drain, watercourse, cesspool, well or place, as the case may be, or to construct a proper drain, ditch or other means for the discharge of such filth, water, matter or thing, or to execute such other work as the case may require.
- (a) such person shall be guilty of an offence; and
(b) the Authority may execute, or cause to be executed, such work as may be necessary for the abatement of the nuisance, and may recover any expenses thereby incurred from the owner of the premises:
- Provided that the Authority may, where it thinks it reasonable, defray all or any part of such expenses.
(4) If the owner or occupier, as the case may be, of any premises intends to cease to use any cesspool or well situated upon such premises, he shall forthwith give notice in writing of such intention to the Authority.
(5) Any person who fails to comply with any of the provisions of subsection (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence:
Provided that in any proceedings against the owner or occupier, as the case may be, in respect of a failure to comply with the provisions of subsection (3), it shall be a defence to prove that -
- (a) in the case of proceedings against the owner, such owner had reasonable cause to believe that the occupier or a previous owner or occupier had given such notice; and
(b) in the case of proceedings against the occupier, such occupier had reasonable cause to believe that the owner or a previous owner or occupier had given such notice.