The Cantonments Act, 2006
Administered Ministry: Ministry of Defence / Department of Defence
Section
Section 161 Report after inspection of dairy or washerman or medical practitioner‟s place of business.
Where, after inspection the Health Officer is of opinion that any infectious, contagious or communicable disease is caused or is likely to arise in the cantonment from the consumption of the milk supplied from a dairy or from the washing of clothes or other articles in any place, or from any process employed by a washerman, or from use of contaminated needles, syringes or other such equipment by a medical practitioner or any paramedical staff, he shall report the matter to the Chief Executive Officer.
Section 162 Action on report submitted by Health Officer.
Upon receipt of a report submitted by the Health Officer under section 161, the Chief Executive Officer may, by notice in writing,--
(a) prohibit the supply of milk from the dairy until the notice has been withdrawn; or
(b) prohibit the washerman from washing clothes or other articles in any such place or by any such process as aforesaid until the notice has been withdrawn or unless he uses such place in such manner, or washes by process, as the Chief Executive Officer may direct in the notice; or
(c) prohibit the medical practitioner or the paramedical worker from using any such needles, syringes or other such equipment unless the notice is withdrawn or rectification as may be required in the notice is carried out.
(a) prohibit the supply of milk from the dairy until the notice has been withdrawn; or
(b) prohibit the washerman from washing clothes or other articles in any such place or by any such process as aforesaid until the notice has been withdrawn or unless he uses such place in such manner, or washes by process, as the Chief Executive Officer may direct in the notice; or
(c) prohibit the medical practitioner or the paramedical worker from using any such needles, syringes or other such equipment unless the notice is withdrawn or rectification as may be required in the notice is carried out.
Section 163 Examination of milk, washed clothes or needles, syringes, etc.
The Health Officer or a doctor in the employment of the Board may take possession of any milk, clothes or other articles which are or have recently been in the possession of any dairyman on whom a notice has been served under section 158, or of any clothes or other articles which are or have recently been in the possession of any washerman, on whom a notice has been served under section 159, or any needles, syringes or such other equipment which are or have recently been in the possession of the medical practitioner or paramedical worker to whom a notice under section 160 has been issued and may subject the same or cause the same to be subjected to such chemical or other process as he may think necessary; and the Board shall pay from the cantonment fund all the costs of the process and shall also pay to the owner of the milk, clothes or other articles such sum as compensation for any loss occasioned by such process as may appear to it to be reasonable.
Section 164 Contamination of public conveyance.
Whoever in a cantonment--
(a) uses a public conveyance while suffering from an infectious or contagious disease, or
(b) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of a person who is suffering from any such disease, or
(c) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of the corpse of a person who has died from any such disease,
shall be bound to take proper precautions against the communication of the disease to other persons using or who may there after use the conveyance and to notify such use to the owner, driver or person in charge of the conveyance, and further to report without delay to the Chief Executive Officer the number of the conveyance and the name of the person so notified.
(a) uses a public conveyance while suffering from an infectious or contagious disease, or
(b) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of a person who is suffering from any such disease, or
(c) uses a public conveyance for the carriage of the corpse of a person who has died from any such disease,
shall be bound to take proper precautions against the communication of the disease to other persons using or who may there after use the conveyance and to notify such use to the owner, driver or person in charge of the conveyance, and further to report without delay to the Chief Executive Officer the number of the conveyance and the name of the person so notified.
Section 165 Disinfection of public conveyance.
(1) Where any person suffering from, or the corpse of any person who has died from, an infectious, communicable or contagious disease has been carried in a public conveyance which ordinarily plies in a cantonment, the driver thereof shall forthwith report the fact to the Chief Executive Officer who shall forth with cause the conveyance to be disinfected if that has not already been done.
(2) No such conveyance shall be brought again into use until the Chief Executive Officer has granted a certificate stating that it can be used without causing risk of infection.
(2) No such conveyance shall be brought again into use until the Chief Executive Officer has granted a certificate stating that it can be used without causing risk of infection.
Section 166 Penalty for failure to report.
Whoever fails to make to the Chief Executive Officer any report 1[required under section 164 or section 165 shall be liable to penalty which may extend to one thousand rupees.]
1. Subs. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch. for certain words (w.e.f. 22-05-2026)
Section 167 Driver of conveyance not bound to carry person suffering from infectious or contagious disease.
Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, no owner, driver or person in charge of a public conveyance shall be bound to convey or to allow to be conveyed in such conveyance in or in the vicinity of a cantonment any person suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or the corpse of any person who has died from such disease unless and until such person pays or tenders a sum fixed by the Chief Executive Officer from time to time, to cover any loss and expense which would ordinarily be incurred in disinfecting the conveyance.
Section 168 Disinfection of building or articles therein.
Where a Board is, upon the advice of the Health Officer, of opinion that the cleansing and disinfection of any building or part of a building in the cantonment or of any articles in any such building or part which are likely to retain infection, or the renewal of the flooring of any such building or part of such building, would tend to prevent or check the spread of any infectious or contagious disease, the Board may by notice in writing, require the owner or occupier to cleanse and disinfect, the said building, part or articles, as the case may be, or to renew the said flooring, within such time as may be specified in the notice:
Provided that where, in the opinion of the Board the owner or occupier is from poverty or any other cause unable effectually to carry out any such requisition, the Board may, at the expense of the cantonment fund, cleanse and disinfect the building, part or articles, or as the case may be, renew the flooring.
Provided that where, in the opinion of the Board the owner or occupier is from poverty or any other cause unable effectually to carry out any such requisition, the Board may, at the expense of the cantonment fund, cleanse and disinfect the building, part or articles, or as the case may be, renew the flooring.
Section 169 Destruction of infectious hut or shed.
(1) Where the destruction of any hut or shed in a cantonment is, in the opinion of the Board, necessary to prevent the spread of any infectious or contagious disease, the Board may, by notice in writing, require the owner to destroy the hut or shed and the materials thereof within such time as may be specified in the notice.
(2) Where the President of a Board is satisfied that the destruction of any hut or shed in the cantonment is immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing the spread of any infectious or contagious disease, he may order the owner or occupier of the hut or shed to destroy the same forthwith, or may himself cause it to be destroyed after giving not less than two hours' notice to the owner or occupier thereof.
(3) The Board shall pay compensation to the owner of any hut or shed destroyed under this section.
(2) Where the President of a Board is satisfied that the destruction of any hut or shed in the cantonment is immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing the spread of any infectious or contagious disease, he may order the owner or occupier of the hut or shed to destroy the same forthwith, or may himself cause it to be destroyed after giving not less than two hours' notice to the owner or occupier thereof.
(3) The Board shall pay compensation to the owner of any hut or shed destroyed under this section.
Section 170 Temporary shelter for inmates of disinfected or destroyed buildings or shed.
The Board shall provide free of charge temporary shelter or house accommodation for the members of any family in which an infectious or contagious disease has appeared who have been compelled to leave their dwelling by reason of any proceedings taken under section 168 or section 169, and who desire such shelter or accommodation as aforesaid to be provided for them.
Section 171 Disinfection of building before letting the same.
(1) Where in a cantonment any building or part of a building is intended to be let, in which any person has, within six weeks immediately preceding, been suffering from an infectious or contagious disease, the person letting the building or part shall before doing so disinfect the same in such manner as the Chief Executive Officer may, by public or special notice, direct, together with all articles therein liable to retain infection.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the keeper of a hotel, lodging house or sarai shall be deemed to let to any person who is admitted as a guest therein that part of the building in which such person is permitted to reside.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the keeper of a hotel, lodging house or sarai shall be deemed to let to any person who is admitted as a guest therein that part of the building in which such person is permitted to reside.
Section 172 Disposal of infected article without disinfection.
No person shall, without previous disinfection of the same, give, lend, sell, transmit or otherwise dispose of to another person any article or thing which he knows or has reason to believe has been exposed to contamination by any infectious or contagious disease and is likely to be used in, or taken into, a cantonment.
Section 173 Means of disinfection.
(1) Every Board shall--
(a) provide proper places with necessary attendants and apparatus for the disinfection of conveyances, clothing, bedding or other articles which have been exposed to infection;
(b) cause conveyances, clothing or other articles brought for disinfection to be disinfected either free of charge or on payment of such charges as the Chief Executive Officer may fix.
(2) The Chief Executive Officer may notify places at which articles of clothing, bedding, conveyances or other articles which have been exposed to infection shall be washed, and, if it does so, no person shall wash any such thing at any place not so notified without having previously disinfected such thing.
(3) The Chief Executive Officer may direct the destruction of any clothing, bedding or other article in the cantonment likely to retain infection, and may give such compensation as he thinks fit for any article so destroyed.
(a) provide proper places with necessary attendants and apparatus for the disinfection of conveyances, clothing, bedding or other articles which have been exposed to infection;
(b) cause conveyances, clothing or other articles brought for disinfection to be disinfected either free of charge or on payment of such charges as the Chief Executive Officer may fix.
(2) The Chief Executive Officer may notify places at which articles of clothing, bedding, conveyances or other articles which have been exposed to infection shall be washed, and, if it does so, no person shall wash any such thing at any place not so notified without having previously disinfected such thing.
(3) The Chief Executive Officer may direct the destruction of any clothing, bedding or other article in the cantonment likely to retain infection, and may give such compensation as he thinks fit for any article so destroyed.
Section 174 Marking or selling of food, etc., or washing clothes by infected person.
Whoever, while suffering from, or in circumstances in which he is likely to spread, any infectious or contagious disease,---
(a) makes, carries or offers for sale in a cantonment or takes any part in the business of making, carrying or offering for sale therein any article of food or drink or any medicine or drug for human consumption, or any article of clothing or bedding for personal use or wear, or
(b) takes any part in the business of the washing or carrying of clothes,
shall be 1[liable to penalty] which may extend to five thousand rupees.
1. Subs. by Act 8 of 2026, s. 2 and Sch. for “punishable with fine” (w.e.f. 22-05-2026)
Section 175 Power to restrict or prohibit sale of food or drink.
When a cantonment is visited or threatened by an outbreak of any infectious or contagious disease, the Chief Executive Officer on behalf of the Board may, by public notice, restrict in such manner or prohibit for such period, as may be specified in the notice, the sale or preparation of any article of food or drink for human consumption specified in the notice or the sale of any flesh of any description of animals so specified.
Section 176 Control over wells, tanks, etc.
(1) If the Chief Executive Officer on the advice given by the Health Officer is of opinion that the water in any well, tank or other place is likely, if used for drinking, to endanger, or cause the spread of, any disease, it may,--
(a) by public notice, prohibit the removal or use of such water for drinking;
(b) by notice in writing, require the owner or person having control of such well, tank or place to take such steps as may be directed by the notice to prevent the public from having access to or using such water; or
(c) take such other steps as it may consider expedient to prevent the outbreak or spread of any such disease.
(2) In the event of a cantonment or any part of a cantonment being visited or threatened by an outbreak of any infectious or contagious disease, the Health Officer or any person authorised by him in this behalf may, without notice and at any time, inspect and disinfect any well, tank or other place from which water is, or is likely to be, taken for the purposes of drinking, and may further take such steps as he thinks fit to ensure the purity of the water or to prevent the use of the same for drinking purposes.
(a) by public notice, prohibit the removal or use of such water for drinking;
(b) by notice in writing, require the owner or person having control of such well, tank or place to take such steps as may be directed by the notice to prevent the public from having access to or using such water; or
(c) take such other steps as it may consider expedient to prevent the outbreak or spread of any such disease.
(2) In the event of a cantonment or any part of a cantonment being visited or threatened by an outbreak of any infectious or contagious disease, the Health Officer or any person authorised by him in this behalf may, without notice and at any time, inspect and disinfect any well, tank or other place from which water is, or is likely to be, taken for the purposes of drinking, and may further take such steps as he thinks fit to ensure the purity of the water or to prevent the use of the same for drinking purposes.
Section 177 Disposal of infectious corpse.
Where any person has died in a cantonment from any infectious or contagious disease, the Chief Executive Officer, may, by notice in writing,--
(a) require any person having charge of the corpse to convey the same to a mortuary, thereafter to be disposed of in accordance with law; or
(b) prohibit the removal of the corpse from the place where death occurred except for the purpose of being buried or burned or of being conveyed to a mortuary.
(a) require any person having charge of the corpse to convey the same to a mortuary, thereafter to be disposed of in accordance with law; or
(b) prohibit the removal of the corpse from the place where death occurred except for the purpose of being buried or burned or of being conveyed to a mortuary.
Section 178 Maintenance or aiding of hospitals or dispensaries.
(1) A Board may--
(a) provide and maintain either within or without the cantonment as many hospitals and dispensaries as it thinks fit; or
(b) make, upon such terms as it thinks fit to impose, a grant-in-aid to any hospital or dispensary or veterinary hospital, whether within or without the cantonment, not maintained by it.
(2) Every hospital or dispensary maintained or aided under sub-section (1) shall have attached to it a ward or wards for the treatment of persons suffering from infectious or contagious diseases.
(3) The Medical Officer appointed by the Board shall be in charge of every Hospital and dispensary maintained or aided under this section and be responsible to the Health Officer for medical activities and to the Chief Executive Officer for over all administrative activities of the hospital.
(a) provide and maintain either within or without the cantonment as many hospitals and dispensaries as it thinks fit; or
(b) make, upon such terms as it thinks fit to impose, a grant-in-aid to any hospital or dispensary or veterinary hospital, whether within or without the cantonment, not maintained by it.
(2) Every hospital or dispensary maintained or aided under sub-section (1) shall have attached to it a ward or wards for the treatment of persons suffering from infectious or contagious diseases.
(3) The Medical Officer appointed by the Board shall be in charge of every Hospital and dispensary maintained or aided under this section and be responsible to the Health Officer for medical activities and to the Chief Executive Officer for over all administrative activities of the hospital.
Section 179 Medical supplies, appliances, etc.
(1) Every hospital or dispensary maintained or aided under section 178 shall be maintained in accordance with any general or special orders of the Central Government for the conduct of hospitals and dispensaries or in accordance with the said orders modified in such manner as the Central Government may think fit.
(2) The Board shall cause every such hospital or dispensary to be provided with all requisite drugs, instruments, apparatus, furniture and appliances and with sufficient cots, bedding and clothing for in-patients.
(2) The Board shall cause every such hospital or dispensary to be provided with all requisite drugs, instruments, apparatus, furniture and appliances and with sufficient cots, bedding and clothing for in-patients.
Section 180 Free patients.
At every hospital or dispensary maintained or aided under section 178, the sick poor of the cantonment, and other inhabitants of the cantonment suffering from infectious, communicable or contagious disease, and, with the sanction of the Board, any other sick persons, may receive medical or surgical treatment free of cost, and, if treated as in-patients, shall be either dieted gratuitously or, if the medical officer in charge so directs, shall be granted subsistence allowance on such scale as the Board may fix.