Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) became the latest addition to the concerning list of airports experiencing roof leakage during heavy rainfall. Visuals from the airport showed water cascading down from the ceiling as passengers watched in dismay. This incident comes just weeks after parts of the ceiling collapsed at Delhi, Rajkot, and Jabalpur airports, raising serious questions about the state of infrastructure and maintenance standards at these facilities.
The incident in Hyderabad quickly drew attention on social media, with many users criticizing the administration for failing to address the issue. “Isn’t this in the newly expanded terminal? One can see it is poorly finished,” commented one X user. Another added, “I thought GMR would maintain some standards in construction. Seems like everyone doesn’t maintain some safety and quality standards in construction. What if that roof collapse like what happened in Delhi terminal? This is new extension opened recently.”
The airport authorities acknowledged the incident, describing it as “unusual” and attributing it to heavy rainfall. They assured the public that their technical team was working to resolve the issue promptly. “Thank you for highlighting the issue. The heavy rainfall led to an unusual water leakage in terminal. Our technical team responded promptly and are working on resolving the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and assure you that our ground team is closely monitoring the situation,” the RGIA handle on X stated.
The incident in Hyderabad follows a series of similar events across India. In June, Terminal 1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was closed for several weeks after a section of the roof and pillars outside the departure area collapsed, tragically killing one person and injuring at least eight others. The accident also prompted the government to order an audit of the structural stability of airport buildings and associated infrastructure.
A similar incident occurred at Dumna Airport in Jabalpur, where a section of the tensile roof canopy collapsed on June 28, just three months after the newly expanded terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These incidents highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of airport infrastructure across the country, ensuring that safety standards are met and maintained to prevent future accidents.
