Civil Defence Act, 1968 Chapter II

(1) The Central Government: may, forsecuring civil defence, by notification, makerules providing for all or any of the following matters, namely:--

(a)preventingthe prosecution of any work likely to prejudice civil defence;

(b)instructionof members of the public regarding civil defence and their equip ment for thepurpose of such defence;

(c)provision,storage and maintenance of commodities and things required for civil defence;

(d)prohibitingor regulating traffic, and the use of vessels, buoys, lights and signals inports and territorial, tidal and inland waters;

(e)controlof lights and sounds;

(f)protection of life and property by taking fire prevention and other measures;

(g)securing of any buildings, premises or other structures from being readily recognisablein the event of a hostile attack;

(h)for the prevention of danger to life or property, the demolition, destruction orrendering useless, of any building, premises or other structures or any other property;

(i)prohibiting or regulating the possession, use or disposal of--

(i)explosives, inflammable substances, corrosive and other dangerous substances orarticles, arms and ammunition;

(ii)vessels;

(iii)wireless telegraphic apparatus;

(iv)aircraft; and

(v)photographic and signalling apparatus and any means of recording information;

(j)evacuation of areas and the removal of property or animals therefrom;

(k)accommodation in any area of persons evacuated from another area and the regulationof the conduct of evacuated persons accommodated in such area;

(l)billeting of evacuated persons or persons authorised to perform functions underthis Act;

(m)salvage of damaged buildings, structures and property and disposal of the dead;

(n)seizure and custody or destruction of injured, unclaimed or dangerous animals;

(o)ensuring the safety of---

(i)ports, dockyards, lighthouses, lightships, aerodromes and facilities associatedwith aerial navigation;

(ii)railways, tramways, roads, bridges, canals and all other means of transport byland or water;

(iii) telegraphs, post offices, signallingapparatus and all other means of communication;

(iv)sources and systems of water supply, works for the supply of water, gas orelectricity and all other works for public purposes;

(v)vessels, aircraft, transport vehicles as defined in the Motor Vehicles Act,1939 (4 of 1939), and rolling stocks of railways and tramways;

(vi)warehouses and all other places used or intended to be used for storage purposes;

(vii)mines, oilfields, factories or industrial or commercial undertakings generally,or any mine, oilfield, factory or industrial or commercial undertaking inparticular;

(viii)laboratories and institutions where scientific or technological research or trainingis conducted or imparted;

(ix)all works and structures being part of, or connected with, anything earlier mentionedin this clause; and

(x)any other place or thing used or intended to be used for the purposes ofGovernment or a local authority or a semi-Government or autonomous organisation,the protection of which is considered necessary or expedient for securing civildefence;

(p)control of any road or pathway, waterway, ferry or bridge, river, canal orother source of water supply;

(q)precautionary measures, which the Government or any department thereof or anylocal authority, members of police force, fire brigade and members of any otherservice or authority employed primarily for purposes other than civil defencepurposes should be required to take within their respective jurisdictions orwith respect to any personnel employed by them:

(r)preventing or controlling any use of uniforms, whether official or otherwise, orflags or official decorations like medals, badges or other insignia or anythingsimilar thereto, the wearing of which is calculated to deceive or to prejudicecivil defence;

(s)precautions to be taken or action to be taken by persons or authorities with aview to protecting or acquainting the general public or any members thereofagainst the dangers involved in any apprehended hostile attack;

(t)requiring the owner or occupier of any building, structure or premises to makeor carry out such arrangements as may be necessary for the purposes ofdetection and prevention of fire;

(u)taking of specified measures for dealing with outbreaks of fire;

(v)directing that, subject to any specified exemption, no person present in any specifiedarea shall, between such hours as may be specified, be out of doors, exceptunder the authority of a written permit granted by a specified authority orperson;

(w)(i) prohibiting the printing and publication of any newspaper, news-sheet, bookor other document containing matters prejudicial to civil defence;

(ii) demanding security from any press usedfor the purpose of printing or publishing, and forfeiting the copies of, anynewspaper, news-sheet, book or other document containing any of the mattersreferred to in sub-clause (i);

(x)regulating the conduct of persons in respect of areas the control of which isconsidered necessary or expedient, the removal of persons from such areas;

(y)requiring any person or class of persons to comply with any scheme of civildefence;

(z)any other provision which may be necessary for the purposcs of civil defence.

(2)Anyrule made under sub-section (1) may provide that orders with regard to the mattersspecified therein may be made by the State Government.

(3)Anyrule made under sub-section (J) may provide that a contravention thereof or anyorder made thereunder shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fivehundred rupees, and where the contravention is a continuing one, with a furtherfine which may extend to fifty rupees for every day, after the first, duringwhich such con travention continues.