Siliguri, 22nd February: A drain has been illegally constructed by blocking a government high drainage system, prompting the High Court to impose Section 144 to halt the work.
The incident took place in the pipeline area of ISKCON Mandir Road, where a multi-storey building is under construction. The site has a 16-foot-wide government high drain, but complaints have surfaced that the construction company has blocked the space meant for the high drain and started building a smaller drain instead.
A few years ago, the same promoter attempted to install a hume pipe illegally on top of the high drainage to build a slab. At that time, local residents opposed the move, leading to the demolition of the illegal structure by the SJDA and the Municipal Corporation.
Recently, residents, with the support of local panchayat and district council members, protested against the ongoing illegal drain construction. They later took legal action, following which the Ashighar Outpost police initially ordered the work to stop. However, despite police instructions, the construction company allegedly completed most of the drain overnight.
Upon learning about the violation, the police sought intervention from the High Court. Subsequently, the court issued orders to impose Section 144 in the area to halt further work. On Friday, police handed over the court order to the construction company, instructing that no further work could proceed until the legal process was completed.
Meanwhile, no response has been received from the promoter or owner authorities of the multi-storey construction company regarding the matter.