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‘Aisa pehle kabhi nahi dekha’: Flyer stuck outside waterlogged Delhi airport for 30 minutes
The Delhi airport said that the waterlogging on the approach roads and forecourts of Terminals 2 and 3 was cleared within a short time.
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Heavy rainfall led to severe waterlogging along the approach roads and forecourts of Terminals 2 and 3 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, September 4. Although the water was eventually cleared, the sudden flooding left scores of passengers stranded and panicking about missing their flights. Among those stuck outside waiting for the water to recede was Mansi, who said she had never witnessed such severe waterlogging at the airport.
“Aisa pehle kabhi nahi dekha [I’ve never seen anything like this],” she told ANI. She added, “There is so much water. I’ve been standing here for about half an hour now. I am waiting for the water level to recede a bit so I can head towards the arrival gates.”
In a conversation with ANI, Govinda Pandey, who has been working at the airport for three years, said, “I have never seen water accumulate like this before. I feel that perhaps a sewer is blocked. The airport’s image might suffer because of this. The government needs to pay attention to this. Strict action should be taken to ensure this doesn’t happen again and that water doesn’t get inside.”
In another video shared by the news agency, people are seen navigating the flooded arena at the airport. The clip is posted with a caption that reads, “Waterlogging witnessed at Indira Gandhi International Airport after heavy rainfall lashed the national capital.”
Social media reacts:
An individual wrote, “And God forbid if a live wire shorts. It’s so dangerous.” Another commented, “Obviously, no slope. Badly constructed. No drainage- no planning for rain. They obviously have no proper audits for the airport - this is such a bad commentary on the civil work and planning.”
A third expressed, “Indra Gandhi international sea port.” A fourth posted, “If this happens in the national capital, then we can guess the situation across the country.”
When was the water cleared?
The Delhi Airport stated that due to heavy rainfall, the approach road and forecourt areas accumulated water, reported PTI. “The accumulated water was cleared within some time,” it added.
Delhi rains:
On Friday, the national capital recorded its first significant spell of rainfall in September. The heavy downpour inundated several stretches, causing traffic to crawl in several areas.
PTI reported, “Palam received 75.6 mm of rain between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, the highest among the city's weather stations, followed by Safdarjung (32.6 mm), Lodhi Road (34.6 mm), Ridge (20 mm) and Ayanagar (12 mm), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).” Additionally, the underpass connecting the airport to Vasant Kunj was completely waterlogged.
Some parts of Lutyens' Delhi also faced waterlogging, including Connaught Place.
