Three blue plastic trays are seen lying on the floor beyond the baggage screening and security check area of an airport terminal. On closer inspection, plastic containers seem to have some amount of water in them.
The above description is that of an image tweeted by DMK MP Kanimozhi which was taken at the Chennai International Airport. According to the MP, blue baggage trays were placed on the floor by the airport staff to collect rainwater which was leaking from the airport’s ceiling after the city witnessed heavy thunder showers on Thursday – which was recorded to be the wettest day of the year in Chennai.
Tweeting the picture on Thursday, Kanimozhi wrote “First it was the ceiling falling. Now the roof has turned into showers. Plastic containers have been placed to collect the water dripping from above due to rains.
First it was the ceiling falling. Now the roof has turned into showers. Plastic containers have been placed to collect the water dripping from above due to rains.
Place: @aaichnairport#Chennai airport pic.twitter.com/74JJOvnkho
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) September 19, 2019
Other problems at airport
The domestic and international terminals at the Chennai airport were expanded and renovated at a cost of Rs 2000 crore in 2013. But since its inauguration, there have been multiple incidents of glass panels collapsing – at least 70 reported incidents. The glass ceiling of the airport had even come crashing down three times within the first six months of the airport’s inauguration. Over the years, at least 13 people are reported to have been injured due to such incidents of glass ceiling shattering in the airport.
In July 2019, G Chandramouli, the director of the Chennai International Airport also received a show cause notice citing safety concerns.
The notice stated that non-frangible material such as concrete slabs, open concrete trench and chambers were found on the primary and secondary runways of the airport. Further several large loose stones were discovered on the Runway End Safety Area or RESA of both ends of the Chennai airport’s primary runway, reports stated. The DGCA notice added that Chennai’s primary runway also failed the friction test, making the runway slippery for aircraft landings.
As per the DGCA’s findings, the friction reading levels of a portion of the runway was below required levels. A few of the runway signboards and lighting too were not found to be in working condition, the notice further stated.
Source: The News Minute