📷 Image Credits: The Indian Express
Less than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rajkot International Airport (RIA) at Hirasar village on the outskirts of Gujarat’s Rajkot, a section of the roof canopy in the terminal’s passenger drop and pickup area collapsed following heavy rain on Saturday. No one was injured in the incident and airport operations were not affected, officials said. The incident comes a day after a section of the roof of Terminal-1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi collapsed on Friday as the national capital witnessed record rainfall. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the Rajkot airport to the nation on July 27, 2023. Modi’s plane had landed at the new airport and he had also inspected the terminal building before flying to the old Rajkot airport located in the middle of the city. The AAI had operationalised the RIA on September 10, 2023, by starting flights from that day and shutting down the old airport in Rajkot city. As the terminal building of the new airport was still under construction, the airport run by AAI started passenger handling operations out of a temporary terminal which is to be converted into a cargo terminal when the permanent terminal becomes ready to handle passengers. The passenger pick-up and drop area of the temporary terminal is covered by a heavy-duty fabric canopy, supported by a steel frame.
Water accumulated in the canopy. During maintenance work to drain the water, the canopy broke,” Diganta Borah, director of RIA, told The Indian Express. “After an inquiry, a detailed report will be shared with AAI [Airports Authority of India]. The incident has not affected operations at the airport,” Borah added. While RIA has been designated an international airport, it is presently only handling domestic flights as the work on the permanent terminal continues and immigration and customs staff are yet to be deployed. A small temporary shed there has collapsed,” Prabhav Joshi, Rajkot Collector, said. Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, and Deepika Padukone, opened with a massive Rs 191.5 crore at the worldwide box office. However, on its second day, the film witnessed a major dip with a collection of only Rs 54 crore, a drop of over 43 percent. The film’s Telugu version saw the biggest dip, earning only Rs 25.65 crore on day 2.
