When any local area is under settlement, the Settlement-officer may order all persons who have proprietary rights in the land comprised in such area to erect boundary-marks of such description and at such places as he thinks necessary in order to define the limits of the mahals, fields or other lands in their possession, or to repair boundary-marks already existing; and may fix a reasonable time for obeying his order;
     and if his order is not obeyed within such time, may cause such marks to be erected or repaired under his own orders, and may recover the cost of such erection or repair from the persons against whom his order was made, in such proportion as he thinks fit.