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.