A glass panel has, once again, fallen down and shattered at the departure terminal of the Chennai international airport on Monday. However, officials said, no one was injured in the incident.
Over the last few years, the Chennai airport has gained a notorious reputation of glass panels breaking and crashing down. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had in July blamed impurities in the glass for the frequent number of incidents.
Speaking to The News Minute, G Chandramouli, Chennai airport director said, “The glass panels withstood 140kmph winds during Cyclone Vardah. The glass breaking has reduced considerably, however.”
He also said that suitable measures had been taken to prevent the glass panels from falling on people, including barricades to ensure that it falls on a false roof.
After being issued notice by the National Human Rights Commission in April this year, AAI denied that there were structural issues in the glass panels. In its response, it said no passengers were injured in falling glass panels, and went on to blame “media hype” for creating a false perception.
Citing an IIT Madras report, AAI also informed NHRC that the “spontaneous breakage” of glass panels was on account of inclusion of nickel sulphate, which was a “normal phenomenon” and well within the industrial limit.
The Chennai Airport, inaugurated in 2013 was expanded and renovated at a cost of Rs 2000 crore. Since its inauguration, there have been more than 65 incidents of glass panels shattering.