The monsoon season in India, known for its heavy rains, has brought a series of unfortunate incidents at various airports across the country. These mishaps, primarily caused by relentless downpours, have raised serious concerns about the safety and structural integrity of airport facilities.
One such incident occurred early Friday morning at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). The canopy at Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rainfall, tragically resulting in the death of Ramesh Kumar, a cab driver, and injuries to eight others. The incident occurred less than four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an upgrade of the terminal, designed to handle 40 million passengers annually, up from 17 million previously. The structure itself was erected in 2008-09. Following the incident, all flight operations from Terminal 1 have been suspended until further notice, with airlines rescheduling flights to operate from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
In another incident, a part of the canopy at Jabalpur Airport in central India collapsed on Thursday. Though no injuries were reported, a car belonging to an Income Tax official was damaged. The airport, inaugurated by PM Modi just three months ago on March 10, experienced its first rainfall, leading to water accumulation and the subsequent collapse of the canopy, according to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is conducting a probe into the incident.
Adding to these incidents, a canopy collapsed at the passenger pickup and drop area outside Gujarat’s Rajkot Airport amid heavy rainfall on Saturday. Preliminary information suggests there were no injuries or casualties. Sources from the Ministry of Civil Aviation told ANI that the canopy broke during maintenance work aimed at removing accumulated water. Repair work is underway, and a detailed report on the incident has been requested. The new greenfield airport was inaugurated by PM Modi in July 2023. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) built the new airport 25 km from Rajkot at Hirasar village.
While heavy rains played a significant role in these mishaps, opposition party politicians and experts have highlighted the risks associated with lax regulations and the rapid pace of project completion. PM Modi has made infrastructure development a central focus of his government, aiming to establish India as a rival to major aviation hubs like Dubai and Singapore. Since coming to power in 2014, the number of operational airports in India has nearly doubled to 140, with plans to increase this to 220 by the end of the decade.
Ameya Joshi, an independent aviation analyst, expressed concern about the potential for quality to be compromised in the pursuit of speed. He told Reuters that mechanisms to audit existing infrastructure are crucial, pointing out that the collapsed roof at Delhi’s airport was an older structure. These incidents underscore the importance of prioritizing safety and structural integrity in the midst of rapid infrastructure development. As India continues to expand its aviation infrastructure, robust oversight and rigorous quality control measures will be essential to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers and airport staff.
