Abatement of rent on account of diluvion and determination of right in land re-appeared on account of alluvion
[86. (1) If the lands of a holding or a portion of such lands are lost by diluvion, the rent or the land development tax of holding shall, on application or intimation made by the tenant in the prescribed form to the Revenue-officer, be abated by such amount as may be considered by the Revenue-officer to be fair and equitable in accordance with the rules made in this behalf by the Government and the act of such loss by diluvion shall be recorded in accordance with such rules, which shall be treated as proof of title to the lands when the same re-appear in situ.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the right, title and interest of the original tenant or his successor-in-interest shall subsist in the lands of a holding or portion thereof during the period of loss by diluvion if such lands re-appear in situ within thirty years of their loss.
(3) Notwithstanding the right, title and interest under sub-section (2), the right to immediate possession of the lands re-appeared shall first be exercised by the Collector, either on his own motion or on an intimation made in writing by the tenant or his successors-in-interest whose land was so lost or by any other person.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Act, the Collector or the Revenue-officer shall, on taking possession of such lands give public notice of the fact of his taking possession in accordance with the rules made in this behalf by the Government and cause a survey to be made of the lands so re-appeared and prepare maps thereof.
(5) The Collector shall, within 45 days of the completion of survey and preparation of map under sub-section (4), allot to the tenant whose land was so lost by diluvion or, as the case may be, to his successors-in-interest such quantity of land which, together with the land already held by him or his successors-in-interest, shall not exceed sixty standard bighas and the excess land of the tenant or his successors-in-interest, if any, after the allotment shall vest in and be at the disposal of the Government.
(6) The lands allotted under sub-section (5) shall be free of salami but shall be subject to the condition that the tenant or his successors-in-interest shall be liable to pay such fair and equitable rent and land development tax as may be determined by the Revenue-officer.
(7) The provision of this section shall not apply to cases of re-appearance of land caused or accelerated by any artificial or mechanical process as a result of development works undertaken by the Government or any authority empowered or authorised by or under any law to undertake such development works.