The Hindu Business Line : Vizag airport still under water; flights unlikely for a week

FLYING PROHIBITED: The lounge and runway of Visakhapatnam airport were flooded after release of excess waters from the Meghadrigedda reservoir following heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , Oct 16

THE Visakhapatnam airport remained under knee-deep water even on Sunday, disrupting flights for the third day in succession and, according to present indications, it may take at least five to seven days for resumption of flights. No flights have been operating since Friday.

The city experienced heavy rains on Friday and Saturday and excess water discharged from Meghadrigedda reservoir submerged the airport terminal, tarmac and runway.

The new runway, developed as part of the international airport project, was also inundated.

The city recorded a rainfall of 20 cm on Saturday flooding several residential areas.

The officials lifted one gate on Saturday morning and five in the evening due to heavy inflows into Meghadrigedda reservoir — one of the sources for drinking water to the city. Three more gates were lifted on Sunday.

"According to present indications, it may take three more days for the water to recede in the airport.

"Only after that we can say when the flights can take off from the airport," the District Collector, Mr Praveen Prakash, said on Sunday after inspecting the havoc wrought by heavy rains.

A spokesman for the Indian Airlines said the damage was still being assessed and they were waiting for the water to recede.

"The employees were rescued in boats arranged by the Navy on Saturday evening," he said.

The Meghadrigedda waters also submerged a helicopter. Naval divers and civilian police were deployed on round-the-clock duty near the airport approach road.

Mr S. Rangaraju, MLA of Visakhapatnam, who visited the airport, said a reservoir should be constructed at Narava or at another place to store excess rain water.

This would prevent inundation of airport whenever the city experienced heavy rains.

He said the construction of a reservoir would cost around Rs 30 crore.

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Vizag airport still under water; flights unlikely for a week