LUCKNOW: Waterlogging at the newly built Noida International Airport following heavy rain has triggered a political row, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav taking a dig at the BJP government.The airport authorities, however, said the “temporary accumulation of water” was cleared within 30 minutes.According to news agency PTI, videos circulating on social media purportedly showed water accumulated along a stretch connecting the terminal to the parking area at the Jewar-based airport, with airport personnel working to drain it.Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, shared one such video on X on Wednesday morning and posted, “Will boats now operate at the airport? Wherever there is a BJP government, there is mega-corruption!”The airport authorities, however, said the waterlogging was temporary and occurred following a spell of extremely heavy rain on Tuesday, without disrupting flight or passenger movement.According to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday night, water temporarily accumulated on the road connecting the terminal to the parking area after intense rainfall.“The airport teams immediately swung into action and ensured drainage within 30 minutes, following which movement on the route became completely normal,” it said.Authorities said flight operations and passenger movement at the airport continued smoothly, while teams closely monitored weather conditions.The greenfield airport, inaugurated on March 28 this year, was developed under a public-private partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government and has been projected as meeting international standards.The airport authority said the temporary waterlogging was caused by a sudden spell of exceptionally heavy rain. It added that teams were prepared to ensure uninterrupted movement between the terminal and the parking area.“The priority is to ensure passenger convenience and uninterrupted movement amid weather-related conditions,” the statement said.(With agency inputs)
