On Tuesday, a video taken at Terminal 2 of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) was widely shared on social media. Water can be seen dripping from the roof of the airport’s terminal 2 building in the video.
Terminal 2 fails the first rain test
Kempegowda International Airport’s much-anticipated Terminal 2 experienced rainwater seeping into the structure on Tuesday night after it rained in the city. The “real worth” of the Rs 5,000 crore terminal was criticized after a video of rainwater pooling at the T2 arrival point sparked outrage on the internet.
According to weather reports, areas near the airport received 25 mm of rain, whereas the airport only received 9.8 mm of rain between 7 and 10 p.m. The travelers in T2 said that the rain fell for 30 minutes, but it seeped into the arrival area and caused the floors to become slick. Although the flow of passengers was unaffected, some elderly passengers found it challenging to navigate the water-stagnant surface.
Chaitanya, an air passenger told Bangalore Mirror, “First impressions were that of sustainable architecture. The use of cane and natural skylights seemed exceptional until the rains showed what the quality of construction is. It was an utter shock to see the water leaking from the roof, and that too at an airport where the quality expected is nothing less than top-notch.” Other air passengers added that they were quite disappointed with the situation at the terminal. Deepali Savur, another air passenger told Bangalore Mirror that this was certainly a matter of carelessness.”
Netizens criticize
The terminal’s construction cost Rs 5,000 crore, and planning for it started in 2018. Its 2,55,000 sq m of space is designed to accommodate at least 25 million flyers per year. T2 is referred to as a “terminal in the garden” because various types of plants and trees surround it. 180 rare plant species, more than 3,600 other plant species, 600 70-year-old trees, bamboo cladding, 620 endemic plants, 7,700 transplanted trees, 96 species of lotus, and much more are among its many highlights.
Looks all fancy but can’t withstand Bangalore rains, a Twitter user commented on a video of rainwater leakage. Will it become a pool if it rains a lot? Some Twitter users referred to the incident as an “audit” to check the loopholes in the infrastructure.
Looks all fancy but can’t withstand Bangalore rains. #terminal2 #bengalururains #kempegowdainternationalairport pic.twitter.com/P3XNQm4LmH
— Pragna L Krupa (@pragnalkrupa) May 2, 2023
The state government was also accused by some online users of inaugurating the terminal before the work was finished. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate tweeted a video of the water leak and added, “This is a video from Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport of Bengaluru, Karnataka, not from rain forests of the Amazon. The airport terminal, which was constructed at a cost of Rs. 5000 crore, is submerged after the first rain. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new infrastructure.
First rains are always the best auditors of structures..
— ನಮ್ಮ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು Namma Bengaluru (@NammaBengaluroo) May 3, 2023
I think Plan-B is they will close it completely during rainy season and then open it during winter and summer times.
Ofcourse, Plan-A still remains intact to maintain it as a Wonderla at Devanahalli area to welcome passengers with Wave Pool concept— ? Tweetifying ? (@therealsunil_) May 3, 2023
Its still a work in progress. Cant call it an indoor garden neither can you call it a well designed terminal. Mostly mediocre once you go past the garden. Most plants on those roof hanging planters look dead. In years to come they will replace them with plastic plants
— Kiran Fernandes (@LF_Kiran) May 2, 2023
Wow! Shocked to see the state of the new terminal of the "world class" Bengaluru airport inaugrated recently as part of the election gimmick by the PM!
— ಒಂಟಿ ಜೀವಿ (@OntiJeevi) May 2, 2023
