'Vikas overflowing': Congress taunts Centre over Delhi Airport canopy collapse amid rain- video
NEW DELHI: A video showing rainwater overflowing from a canopy at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after a heavy downpour has sparked a political row, with the Congress taking a direct swipe at the BJP government over infrastructure quality.
The incident occurred early Sunday as the National Capital Region was battered by rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds.
The Kerala unit of the Congress shared the video on social media platform X, sarcastically commenting, "Vikas overflows in Delhi Airport after a drizzle."
— INCKerala (@INCKerala)
The video showed water collecting in the middle of a sloped canopy before eventually spilling over, soaking the surrounding area.
In a separate post, the party criticised the waterlogging near Terminal 3 of IGI Airport that disrupted travel, saying, 'This G20 infra built at inflated cost joins the long list of crumbling 'Modi-quality' constructions.'
As seen in the video, the canopy collapse happened due to the design's bowl-like structure, which allowed water to pool in the centre. As the pressure mounted, the tensile fabric failed to hold the accumulated water, leading to a dramatic overflow.
As per ANI, the heavy rains led to the diversion of 49 flights, including 17 international flights, between 11:30 pm and 4 am. In a passenger advisory issued at 6:50 am, Delhi Airport said, 'Passengers are advised to check their flight status regularly and stay in touch with airline staff for updates.'
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Visuals from other parts of Delhi, including Moti Bagh and Minto Road, showed widespread waterlogging. A car was seen submerged at Minto Road, while traffic snarls were reported at several key junctions including Dhaula Kuan.
The IMD had issued a red alert for Delhi and surrounding areas, predicting thunderstorms, lightning, and wind speeds up to 100 km/h.
The incident comes nearly a year after a roof collapse at Terminal 1 of the Delhi Airport during similar weather conditions, which left one person dead and several injured. That episode had also led to flight disruptions and raised serious questions about infrastructure durability under extreme weather.
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