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Hefty rainfall on Tuesday wreaked havoc at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Videos, and pictures, circulated on social media, show flooded hallways, soggy business spaces, and tumultuous situations where travelers were wading about in ankle-deep water. Reaction to the inundation had led to much speculation, from roof leaks to how sound the airport’s construction is. But officials at the airport reacted soon, denying roof leaks in no uncertain terms and stating that it came from the relentless rain that continued to thrash the metropolis.
Destructive Nature of Torrential Rains
The city of Hyderabad was pounded with heavy rains within hours, which, according to meteorological reports, were over and above regular rainfall levels for August. Some of the worst rain in living memory, it overtopped the city drainage system, bringing extensive flooding to many parts of the city, including the airport.
Waters did not spare RGIA as one of the busiest airports in all of India. It took no time because the airport lacked a proper drainage system to cater to the unexpected volume of water. Much uncertainty and worry could be seen among the passengers lined up and airport workers as water gushed into the terminal through air vents and doors.
Reactions on Social Media to the Allegations of Roof Leakage
As the crisis persisted, there were angry posts all over social media of impatient passengers uploading footage of the same. Most of them stated that they had evidence of the airport roof leaking, with videos of water leaking from the airport roof evident on the clips. It took no time before these leaks went public, and there were claims of accountability.
Passengers took to the social media platforms—_instagram and Twitter—to express their anger and narrate their saga. “Stuck at the Hyderabad Airport. There’s water everywhere! Is this what we pay airport taxes for?” one person wrote. In another video, travelers fought hard to save their belongings as water leaked into the terminal.
Reaction of the Administration
Recently, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited posted a statement officially stating that the allegations being made were completely false and that there was no leakage of its roof. The authorities elaborated that this was because of the huge rainfall in a very short time and the inflow of water, which thereafter put extra load on the drainage system of the airport, resulting in the flood.
There was no question of any structural issue or roof leaking. It said, “Our ground staff quickly controlled the temporary waterlogging situation due to exceptional rainfall.” “We wish to assure all passengers that the infrastructure of the airport remains sound and we are taking all possible measures to ensure that such situation is not repeated in the future.”
The airport also authorities indicated that the drainage systems had been designed to accommodate huge quantities of water, and they were operating normally as designed until they were simply overwhelmed by the heavy downpour. They reiterated that immediately upon the outbreak of the situation, emergency operations were decreed, and the contained water level.
Other effects of the rain in Hyderabad
The effect of the rain was felt beyond Hyderabad’s airport. Road diversions and heavy traffic backlogs resulted from the waterlogged city. The received waters flood encroached upon several residential areas as well, but the workers continued their jobs, evacuating trapped locals, mindful that the highways had to be clear.
The RGIA tragedy has kicked off a wider debate on the needs of Hyderabad vis-a-vis better infrastructure and urban planning to withstand such harsh weather incidences. Scientists also caution that, with climate change, bringing about extreme and unpredictable weather patterns, the recurrence of such incidents might get more frequent. Thousands of people are at the airport, in deep water. The floods in the airport have brought home the grim message of the challenges ahead in preparing the city to meet more such climatic-related events.
In other words
While the airport in Hyderabad may have been thrown into chaos on account of tempestuous rains on Tuesday, the incident, and reports from the airport authorities that no roofs were leaking, still raise very crucial questions regarding our city’s infrastructure and its impending weakness in the face of climatic change. Along with this, the focus must also be on ensuring that the infrastructure of the city of Hyderabad is robust enough to stand against these types of adversities so that it remains secure shortly after it develops into a major urban center.
