Water was seen leaking near the main entrance of the newly built terminal building at Dumna Airport in Jabalpur during rainfall, leaving the floor wet and slippery and forcing airport authorities to temporarily close the main gate.

The terminal building was constructed at a cost of around ₹450 crore. To prevent passengers from slipping, airport management placed a warning board near the entrance stating that the floor was wet and asking passengers to walk carefully. Passenger movement was diverted through another gate while rainwater was being cleared.

Airport Management Cites Water Accumulation in Canopy

Airport-in-charge director Neeraj Kumar said rainwater had accumulated in the canopy, resulting in water dripping near the entrance. He said repair work on the canopy is currently underway.

According to Kumar, Gate D-1 was temporarily closed in view of passenger safety and convenience, while passengers were being allowed to enter and exit through Gate D-2.

₹450 Crore Project Raises Questions

The incident has prompted questions from the Vayu Seva Sangharsh Samiti over the construction quality and present condition of the airport.

Committee president Himanshu Khare called for a high-level inquiry and audit into the airport's construction and existing facilities. He said an airport is often the first impression of a city for arriving passengers, making water leakage and a slippery floor at the entrance a matter of concern despite the substantial investment in the terminal.

Khare also raised questions about the airport's facilities and ranking. He said Jabalpur Airport was recently placed 22nd across the country in the Customer Satisfaction Index.

NKG Infrastructure Built the New Terminal

The construction and modernisation work at Dumna Airport, including the new terminal building, ATC tower and fire station, was awarded to Delhi-based NKG Infrastructure Limited.

The project included construction of a terminal building spread over approximately 1.15 lakh square feet. The facility has three aerobridges, a modern baggage screening system, a food court and parking facilities for more than 250 cars and buses.

2024 Canopy Collapse Also Under Investigation

Airport-in-charge director Neeraj Kumar said an investigation is still underway into an incident in June 2024 in which part of the fabric canopy collapsed. Action against NKG Infrastructure is also being pursued at the headquarters level, he said.

The ongoing canopy repair work has been assigned to another company. The current water leakage occurred from the same canopy where rainwater accumulated during heavy rainfall.

Fabric Canopy Had Collapsed Two Years Ago

Questions over the construction quality of the new terminal had also emerged after a section of the fabric canopy in the drop-and-go area collapsed on June 27, 2024, following heavy rainfall.

The canopy fell onto a car that had arrived to pick up an Income Tax Department official, damaging the vehicle. The official and the driver had stepped out of the car and entered the terminal just minutes before the incident, narrowly avoiding injury.

Seven Flights Currently Operating

The expansion of Dumna Airport was expected to increase the number of flights operating from Jabalpur. At present, however, seven flights are operating from the airport.

These include services connecting Jabalpur with Indore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Flights to Bilaspur and Jagdalpur are currently suspended.

Jabalpur is on high alert Saturday as President Droupadi Murmu arrives for a two-day visit that will see her attend the state-level International Yoga Day celebrations and the 36th convocation of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya — all while the city's administration simultaneously manages a re-NEET examination for over ten thousand students.

Murmu is scheduled to land at Dumna Airport at 6.10 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft flying in from Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal. Governor Mangubhai Patel will receive her on arrival, along with Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar and senior police and administrative officials. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav is also expected to reach Jabalpur separately around 8 pm. The President will stay overnight at Circuit House No. 1.

Security arrangements across the city are extensive. Over 3,000 personnel have been deployed along the entire route from Dumna Airport through to the Circuit House, Garrison Ground and the university campus. Railway Protection Force teams are active at the railway station, with dog squads conducting checks. A 15-kilometre no-fly zone has been declared covering Dumna Airport, Circuit House No. 1, MES Rest House, Garrison Ground, RDVV and the full VVIP route. Drones, UAVs, paragliders, hot air balloons, kites and any other airborne objects are prohibited in the restricted zone. Collector Raghavendra Singh, acting on a report by SP Sampat Upadhyay, has issued orders that violations will attract action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Sunday morning begins early. Murmu will leave the Circuit House at 7.05 am and reach Garrison Ground in Sadar by 7.20 am, where the state-level Yoga Day programme begins at 7.30 am. She will preside as chief guest over the mass yoga session before returning to the Circuit House by 8.35 am.

The RDVV convocation follows at 11.50 am. Students from various faculties will receive degrees and gold medals in a ceremony running until 12.50 pm. However, the event has not been without controversy — hundreds of research scholars and gold medallists who travelled from across the country have alleged that the university administration informed them at the last moment that only 20 selected students would be called on stage to receive honours directly from the President. The researchers have accused the university of bias and discrimination in the selection process.

After the convocation, Murmu will head directly to Dumna Airport and depart for Gwalior at 1.20 pm.

The re-NEET examination adds a significant logistical layer to Sunday's arrangements. Twenty-three examination centres have been set up across the district, with more than 10,000 students expected to appear. The state government has assigned the Collector overall responsibility for examination logistics. In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind arrangement, government buses will ferry students from Pantinaka Chowk to various examination centres until noon. Temporary sheds with coolers, fans, drinking water and snacks are being set up for accompanying family members waiting outside. A helpline number — 7049158826 — has been made available for students or families facing transport-related difficulties.

Murmu had on Friday attended the World Sickle Cell Day programme at Onkareshwar in Khargone district before proceeding to Jabalpur.