The Bombay High Court on Mondaytemporarily restrained the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from carrying out work on the widening of a drain inside the suburban property of Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Limited.A division bench of Justices S J Kathawala and R I Chagla was hearing a petition filed by the company challenging a notice issued by the civic body in December 2019 stating that work on widening the drain would start immediately.The company claimed that despite it not giving a no- objection, the BMC has illegally encroached and trespassed into their property and commenced work on the widening of the drain.The affected area of proposed construction would be 3000 square meters, the company's plea stated.The petition has sought a direction to BMC to not take possession of the company's property or execute work on the project without following due process of law.The BMC, in its affidavit filed through advocate Dhruti Kapadia, said the widening project was undertaken in larger public interest and to reduce flooding in the vicinity."More than 25,000 persons living in the vicinity are affected by floods each year during monsoon. The widening of this drain would help release storm water at the Eastern Express outlet," Kapadia argued.The bench, after hearing brief arguments, posted the matter for further hearing on March 16.The HC restrained the civic body from carrying out any further work on the proposed project till then.
