Chennai airport has witnessed at least 61 incidents of glass fall in recent times.
Highlights
- Airport renovated in 2012; pieces of ceiling, glass panels keep falling
- National Human Right Commission asks for explanation
- MPs have complained regularly about filthy airport, so have passengers
On nearly 61 different occasions at the Chennai airport, pieces of glass - some from its ceiling - have allegedly fallen on or around passengers, a safety lapse that now has to be explained by the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The country's top human rights body- the National Human Rights Commission - said that though the Chennai airport was renovated and modernized as recently as 2012, "it is really surprising that despite 61 incidents of glass fall, the authorities appear to have not paid heed to
the safety concerns of people."
In 2014, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju ordered a surprise check of the airport; the result was an F on pretty much all fronts. Bathrooms and the food court were filthy, windows were broken and several members of parliament complained poor baggage-handling and other facilities.
A survey last year found Chennai the 7th worst in Asia.
Glass panels and sections of the false ceiling have collapsed with bizarre frequency at the domestic and international terminals. The union government and the Airports Authority of India, which runs airport, has been asked to clarify if the count is indeed at 61 such incidents.