The Delhi High Court recently closed a case concerning the collapse of a roof at Terminal-1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. This incident happened on June 28 following heavy rainfall.
The Central Government’s lawyer informed the court that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a High-Level Expert Committee. This committee made up of structural engineers from IIT Delhi, will investigate the incident and report their findings.
Additionally, all airport operators have been instructed to conduct third-party audits of their buildings’ structural stability. These audits must be done by reputable institutions like IITs, NITs, CBRI, and EIL. The operators must also evaluate all civil, electrical, and technical aspects of the buildings, including the roof’s design and construction quality, before every monsoon season. The buildings must follow the National Building Code standards.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has guidelines for airside infrastructure, and they regularly inspect airports to ensure these standards are met. Now, all airport operators are required to have third-party structural audits conducted by well-known agencies such as IITs, NITs, and government engineering colleges.
The government lawyer also mentioned that an FIR has been registered by the Delhi police under sections 337 and 304A of the IPC. The investigation is ongoing.
The High Court bench, consisting of Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, decided to close the case after hearing these updates.
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The Civil Safety Council of India, represented by its President Yatin Swami, had filed the plea. They requested a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to monitor the investigation. They wanted experts or agencies like the CBI to assess the construction quality and ensure adherence to building regulations at all airport terminals in Delhi and across the country.
The plea highlighted that poor building regulations and the rush to complete projects were major reasons behind such accidents. The collapse resulted in the death of a 45-year-old cab driver and injuries to eight others, including a Merchant Navy officer. The heavy rains on June 28 caused the roof to collapse, crushing at least three cars.
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