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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Hudhud aftermath: Probe sought into Visakhapatnam airport roof collapse
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Hudhud aftermath: Probe sought into Visakhapatnam airport roof collapse

Incident has brought under the spotlight the design and construction quality of the roof

The entire roof of the terminal came down, leaving in place only a skeleton steel structure and a flooded terminal as Cyclone Hudhud struck this week. Photo: AFPPremium
The entire roof of the terminal came down, leaving in place only a skeleton steel structure and a flooded terminal as Cyclone Hudhud struck this week. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: The collapse of the entire roof of Visakhapatnam airport when the city was lashed by Cyclone Hudhud has brought under the spotlight its design and construction quality and led to calls by experts for an investigation to find out why the structure was so flimsy.

The 95 crore terminal was modernized in 2009 as part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s plans to refurbish 36 non-metro airports.

When Hudhud struck this week, the entire roof of the terminal came down, leaving in place only a skeleton steel structure and a flooded terminal. The entire glass facade of the facility was shattered by the winds packing a speed of nearly 200 kmph.

Navigational equipment at the airport was also destroyed and the areas around runway submerged, making it impossible for flights to land.

There is no word yet on when the flights will start from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which runs the airport.

“It’s a huge loss. It’s a loss that we could not expect," Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said after visiting the terminal on Monday, estimating the loss to the airport at 500 crore.

Airport experts said the aviation ministry, which is led by P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju of Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party, should launch an investigation.

“There ought to be an inquiry when there has been such a devastating loss and damage to the airport terminal on the reasons for the collapse of the roof," said Robey Lal, a former AAI board member.

“That there were very strong cyclonic winds is known. But that alone ought not to be given as the sole cause of the roof collapse. The issues that need to be addressed are many," Lal said, adding that a probe should find out what kind of wind speeds the facility had been designed to resist.

Investigators should also find out whether the roof and facade of the building were designed to meet the structural requirements of the Indian Standards Institute for gale-force winds in a coastal region susceptible to cyclonic storms, Lal said. “Also it needs to be seen whether the designers were competent, and the detailing they provided was adequate under the codal requirements, in the first case and who inspected the designs and passed them for construction and undertook inspections during construction and subsequent maintenance?"

Unlike the old airport terminal building made of brick and mortar, the refurbished 22,000 square metre facility was made of glass and steel and billed as environment-friendly.

“The entire Andhra and Odisha coastline is cyclone prone. If the design of the structure has not taken that into account, it is obvious the quality of architects and engineers that AAI has is questionable," said Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety analyst.

He noted that AAI had sufficient advance warning of Hudhud’s landfall in Visakhapatnam.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about technology coming to the aid with early warning that reduced damage. AAI took no heed to all the early warnings and left vital and costly navigation equipment to face the fury of Hudhud, without securing them safely," he said. “Is anyone held accountable?"

Ranganathan said AAI should emulate Hong Kong and Taipei airports as “they are regularly hit by typhoons and the entire architecture is to cater for such wind forces."

A former AAI board member who asked not to be named and was part of the Visakhapatnam airport modernization project said it seemed from images of the facility that the entire glass facade had shattered, and the fierce winds may have made an upward thrust towards the terminal roof.

The official said Visakhaptnam-based firm MVR Son Techno Builders Pvt. Ltd did the construction work while the design was cleared in-house by AAI. “It is serious. There must be eyewitnesses and a detailed inquiry should be done. A technical committee should be examine the whole matter," he said.

Mint couldn’t immediately reach MVR chairman M. Venkata Rao. An email sent and phone calls to the company yielded no response. An aviation ministry spokesman declined to comment on the likelihood of any probe being ordered in the matter.

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Published: 14 Oct 2014, 11:45 PM IST
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