GMR Group that is in charge of the operations of Delhi Airport is under scanner after Delhi Airport Terminal T-1 roof collapsed killing 1 person and injuring 6 people.
Operations at Delhi Airport Terminal 1 have been halted following a roof collapse, resulting in one fatality and six injuries. Also four vehicles including cabs were also damaged.
A search operation is also underway to make sure no one else is trapped in the damaged vehicles. Besides the roof sheet, the support beam also collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. The injured persons have been hospitalised.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, after inspecting the site, announced that all flights from Terminal 1 at Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, scheduled until 2 PM today have been cancelled.
On 31st January 2006 the then Central Government handed over the management of Delhi airport to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). Dial is a consortium of of GMR group ( 50.1%) , Fraport AG (10%), Malaysia Airport ( 10%), India Development Fund ( 3.9%) and the Airport Authority of India retains 26%. The old Palam airport is now known as T1 and handles all domestic flights.
Government sources revealed that the collapsed roof at Terminal 1 was constructed during 2008-09 and was contracted out by GMR to private contractors.
Passengers travelling through airlines or air passengers pay User Development Fee that is part of the ticket charges. This charge though collected by the airlines is levied by Airport Developer for proper maintenance of the airport. This charge ranges between ₹750 to ₹ 1500 per ticket depending upon the airport and Delhi is the only airport in the country that levies user development fees on both arriving and departing passengers. GMR which heads the DIAL consortium and collects user development fee is guilty of ignoring passenger safety despite collecting crores of rupees from passengers every year.
Will justice be served this time, or will this incident be forgotten like the Morbi Bridge collapse? We can only keep our fingers crossed.
