No lessons learnt at airport: BMC

Mumbai: Forty-eight hours. That’s how long the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India’s busiest airport, was rendered non-functional, thanks to the water that inundated the runways and operational area on 26/7.
A year later, if there were to be a repeat of 944 mm, the civic body is certain things wouldn’t be very different.
‘‘Two options were given to them—widen the existing drains or lay new ones. But neither has been done,’’ said Chief Engineer (Storm Water Drains Department) A S Nabar on the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) performance.
He also pointed out that drains within AAI land were not even open to BMC inspection due to ‘‘airport security’’.
Airport Director R J Treasuryvala, however, said that last July’s was a ‘‘once in a 100 years monsoon,’’ and stoically maintained that ‘‘drains have been taken care of’’.
25/07/06 Lekha Agarwal/Mumbai Newsline

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