One person died and five sustained injuries on Friday morning after a portion of the roof of the Delhi Airport's Terminal-1 collapsed on cars, including taxis, amid heavy downpour that threw traffic on roads and air into chaos.
On March 10, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually inaugurated the revamped Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that the "building that collapsed is an old building and was opened in 2009."
"I want to clarify that the building inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi is on the other side and the building that collapsed here is an old building and was opened in 2009," he told ANI.
#WATCH | On portion of canopy collapsed at Delhi airport's Terminal-1, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says, "...we are taking this incident seriously...I want to clarify that the building inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi is on the other side and the… pic.twitter.com/ahb6d9ujc0
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
"DGCA will supervise the inspection and they will give a report," he added.
Further, he said a thorough checking of all similar structures at airports across the country will be carried out.
Sources in the government said the roof that collapsed at T1 was constructed during 2008-09 and that the work was contracted out by GMR to private contractors.
According to the New Delhi Airport website, Terminal 1 was inaugurated on March 10, 2024, that adds it to the list of "elite global hubs" which is said to have a 100 million passengers per annum capacity.
"GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd (GIL)-led DIAL undertook the expansion work in 2019 to make Delhi Airport future-ready. The expansion work was carried out as per the Master Plan 2016, as Delhi Airport witnessed a massive surge in the Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) and passenger numbers, exceeding projections," New Delhi airport website mentioned.
With addition of Terminal 1, the structure increased the overall area which went from 55,740 sqm to 206,950 sqm, as per the website. The expansion also became three times the previous area and the capacity from 17 MPPA to 40 MPPA now.
According to airport operator DIAL, all entry gates have added Facial Recognition System (Digi Yatra), 20 Automated Tray Retrieval Systems (ATRS), Individual Carrier System (ICS), 108 Common Usage Self Service (CUSS) and 100 check-in counters, including 36 Self Baggage Drop (SBD) kiosks.
Terminal 1 also got new features to it including realigned pick up and drop off lanes to ease the traffic, contemporary meet-and-greet zones, plush forecourt areas and expanded parking facilities.
Meanwhile, the Congress hit out at the Modi government over the Terminal 1 roof collapse, and said, "corruption" and "criminal negligence" is responsible for the shoddy infrastructure created in the last 10 years.