Gulp throws error `Can only pipe to one destination`

[rvab]

What were you expecting to happen?

The gulp task should be executed successfully.

What actually happened?

Gulp is throwing the below error

Can only pipe to one destination 

Sample code

function generateHTML(path, withStyles) {
  let stream = src(path.html.src, {
    base: '.',
  });

  if (argv.production) {
    stream = minifyHTMLReferences(stream, withStyles);
  }

  stream.pipe(dest(path.html.dest));
  return stream;
}
const gulpWatch = series(
 generateHTML
 ...othertask
)
export { gulpWatch as watch }

Terminal output / screenshots

$ gulp watch

output

Error: Can only pipe to one destination
    at ReadableState.pipe (path-to-node_modules/node_modules/streamx/index.js:260:13)
    at Transform.pipe (path-to-node_modules/node_modules/streamx/index.js:722:25)
    at resumer (path-to-node_modules/node_modules/stream-exhaust/index.js:12:12)
    at asyncRunner (path-to-node_modules/node_modules/async-done/index.js:65:11)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:77:11)

Please provide the following information:

• OS & version: MacOS Sonoma 14.3.1
• node version: v20.17.0
• npm version: 10.8.2
• gulp version: 5.0.0

Additional information

The below code works but when dest is set after creating stream, the task fails

function generateHTML(path, withListViewStyles) {
  return src(path.html.src, {
    base: '.',
  }).pipe(dest(path.html.dest));

}