National Desk, 29th June: Amid heavy rainfall, a portion of the canopy at Gujarat’s Rajkot Airport collapsed, marking the third such incident in a short span following similar occurrences at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 1 and Jabalpur Airport. These incidents have heightened concerns about the resilience of airport infrastructure in extreme weather conditions.
Delhi Airport Incident
Early Friday morning, heavy rains led to a canopy collapse at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1, injuring six individuals who were subsequently rescued and hospitalized, as reported by Delhi Fire Services. A spokesperson for Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) commented, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.”
As a safety measure, all departures from Terminal 1 were temporarily suspended, and check-in counters closed. “We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” DIAL stated. Delhi Police redirected traffic heading to T1 departure at Indira Gandhi International Airport toward the Arrival of T1. Several cars were damaged by falling debris from the collapsed roof, as confirmed by a fire official. “Around 5:30 am, we received a call regarding a roof collapse at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport. Three fire engines were rushed to the spot,” an official from Delhi Fire Services said.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, oversaw the incident and rescue operations. “Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to the hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he stated on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Jabalpur Incident
In a separate incident, a section of the tensile roof canopy at Dumna Airport’s newly expanded terminal in Jabalpur collapsed on Thursday following heavy rains. The incident, which damaged a parked government official’s car, has led to allegations of corruption from the opposition Congress. The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just three months ago.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Jabalpur issued a statement: “Due to continuous rainfall since yesterday evening, a part of the fabric canopy, constructed for the aesthetic appeal of the newly-built building at Jabalpur Airport, accumulated water and the fabric tore. This caused the water to fall on the car parked below, damaging the car’s roof and windows. Technical reasons for the incident are being investigated to ensure such incidents do not recur. The AAI (Jabalpur), regrets this incident and assures comprehensive resolution.”
Rajiv Ratan Pandey, Director of Jabalpur Airport, explained, “The fabric canopy has been built in front of the new terminal building of the airport for decorative purposes. Continued heavy rains caused localized accumulation of rainwater on a part of the fabric canopy, causing the collapse of the part of the canopy and enormous water to fall suddenly with heavy force on the car under it. It caused significant damage to the roof and windows of the car. A technical probe has been immediately ordered in the matter to ascertain the reasons behind the incident.”
Delhi Rains
The recent spate of canopy collapses at airports has sparked concerns over the structural integrity and maintenance of airport facilities, particularly during adverse weather conditions. These incidents occurred as Delhi-NCR experienced heavy rains, leading to widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted generally cloudy skies with varying intensities of rain and gusty winds in Delhi over the next seven days.
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