Delhi's IGI Airport has become a nightmare ?
Has???
It has always been so. Just getting worse. I was there a month ago.
The parking lot is a nightmare. We could not push our luggage loaded
carts to the car in the parking lot, because of the unbelievable
pot-holes, all the way. Had to lift the cart up, with the help of
all the young men waiting around for the opportunity to help out. Not
that I grudge them. But IGI being the front door to the capital of a
super-power wanna-be, the state of affairs IN and AROUND the airport
and its amenities ( if one could call it that) boggled the mind.
Someone explained a new parking lot is being built. I will believe it
when I see it. All the renovation work going on in the passenger
areas tell a tale of appalling infrastructure behind the ripped out
finishes. No wonder the ceilings keep falling.
And that tunnel out of the international arrivals area! It has no parallel.
What seems to be India's problem anyway?
But on a the brighter side, I was pleasantly surprised by a CLEANER
Delhi, at least at the upscale neighborhoods like Defense Colony .
The sidewalks were swept, no plastic bags and paper on the plants
flanking them. The plants looked maintained. The taxi driver
explained it is the upcoming Asian Games ( or is it the Commonwealth
Games). It was a different story however, on the way to IIT Delhi.
cm
Click!
IGI official escapes roof collapse
15 Nov 2007, 0508 hrs IST,TNN
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NEW DELHI: Delhi's IGI Airport has become a nightmare not only for
passengers but also for those who are working there.
On Wednesday morning, a lady officer had a miraculous escape when the
roof of her newly renovated room collapsed on her. Aman Saini,
assistant general manager of terminal-II, was working on her computer
about 10.30 am when the false ceiling came crashing down, along with
the airconditioning ducts. A senior official of the airport had to
pull her out from under the debris.
Even as preparations are on to make travelling more convenient during
the foggy months, frequent complaints by people on the degraded
condition of the airport at present has forced the ministry of civil
aviation to sit up and take notice.
Sources said that based on the complaints on dysfunctional toilets
and other issues sent to the ministry, it was planning to conduct a
surprise check at the airport in the near future.
While Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL) officials tried
to downplay the incident and said that "only a single panel had
fallen and the official wasn't hurt", sources revealed that officials
were appalled at the condition of the airport.
"The airport manager's room is newly constructed and if this is what
happens to renovated rooms, one can imagine how it is elsewhere,"
said an official.
"We are lucky that the Amin escaped with scratches but to have the
entire roof collapse on one's head can be a major shock and could
have turned very ugly," he added.
The old airport manager's room was recently demolished and the new
one set up outside terminal-II. Strangely, with renovation on, there
is no access to the room from inside and can only be reached from the
city side.
The room where the roof collapsed was a little way behind the main
structure which is not frequented by people often.
According to sources, the condition of the airport, specially during
renovation, has made travelling a complete hassle. Recently, a
passenger at the international departure terminal had a part of the
false ceiling collapse on her head. She too, luckily escaped with
minor injuries. Cases of people tripping over loose tiles and
slippery floors is also becoming common.
Sources also revealed that only one ladies' toilet was functional at
the international departure terminal, and that too on the lower level.
"The maintenance of toilets at the international airport is with AAI
and there are some issues between the GMR Group and AAI employees
that is aggravating the problem," said sources. News on the airside
is no better. Recently, civil aviation director general Kanu Gohain
took a tour of the operations area at the airport to see the
conditions after the recent spate of accidents. He is learnt to have
reprimanded eight drivers who were found to be driving "worse than
Blueline drivers"._______________________________________________
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