KOLKATA: Even as the city braces up for monsoon, officials at the airport are spending sleepless nights, worried about waterlogging in the operational area.
Three pockets in the operational area, including four parking bays, were inundated twice in the past fortnight — once on May 28-29 and again on June 7.
Airport officials had raised their concern over the issue at a meeting with irrigation department officials on June 5, calling for immediate desilting of drains along the airport perimeter wall so that storm water can be drained out.
The issue again figured prominently at the Airfield Environment Management Committee meeting on Wednesday attended by representatives of PWD, KMDA, irrigation department and the four civic bodies — North Dum Dum, Dum Dum, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation — around the airport.
Speaking to TOI, an airport official said the issue was most acute near Narayanpur at the southern end of the airport.
“The drainage lines are choked.
Hence, if water is pumped out of the airport, it flows back.
The drainage lines need to be cleared immediately to prevent any disruption in operations during the monsoon,” he said.
While parking bays 58 to 61 get inundated whenever there is heavy rain, water also accumulates where hangars are situated to the east of the airport.
While these hangers have aerobridges that allow passengers to board and disembark from the aircraft without having to step into the water, other operations like refuelling and loading/unloading baggage get affected.
Way back in 2013, KMDA had proposed a Rs 61.4 crore drainage augmentation programme to rid the airport of the perennial problem by setting up a storm water network to flush out rainwater to the adjoining Bagjola and Noai canals.
But eight years on, the project is yet to be completed.
On May 28-29, the showers had also led to waterlogging on the city side.
Stretches of the road leading to the airport were inundated, slowing traffic movement.
Though cars were comparatively fewer due to the restrictions that are in force and the fewer flights that are operating, the waterlogging has raised concerns.
Airport authorities later said the problem could be due to gully pits and blocked drainage lines getting choked as a result of ongoing Metro construction.
Rain alert raises waterlogging concerns at Kolkata airport
