CANTONMENT BOARD, MEERUT vs NARAINDAS & ANR.

The Supreme Court ruled that Section 187 of the Cantonments Act, 1924, applies to structures encroaching on public drains, allowing the Cantonment Board to direct their removal within 30 years of encroachment. The Court held that the permission granted for a stone projection did not confer proprietary rights over the drain, but merely a license. Consequently, the Board's directive to remove the kiosk, constructed 18 years after the initial permission, was valid and within its authority under Section 187.