Waterlogged underground exit at airport leads to sharp exchanges between parties
Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar became the centre of a political dispute after social media videos showed waterlogging in an underground walkway at one of its exits following rainfall. The incident has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which alleged faulty construction and corruption, while BJP leaders defended the airport and said remedial measures are being planned.
Passengers posted short video clips of the waterlogged exit on social platforms on Tuesday, prompting reactions from major political formations. The airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about six months ago, was built at an estimated cost of ₹11,200 crore, according to publicly available project figures cited by party posts.
“Will boats now operate at the airport? Wherever there is a BJP govt, there is rampant corruption,”
said Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in a post on X, sharing one of the videos. The Aam Aadmi Party also criticised the development, posting that the footage exposed alleged corruption and substandard construction at NIA. The Congress shared a similar video with a caption directly criticising the airport’s condition under central leadership.
On Wednesday, BJP MLA from Jewar, Dhirendra Singh, visited the location and posted a video in defence of the airport and wider development in the area. Singh attributed the waterlogging to a restricted stormwater shaft at the specific exit and said the shaft needed widening. He added that landscaping would be redesigned so that stormwater does not reach the walkway.
Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma also reacted on social media, saying attempts by the opposition to highlight the issue amounted to an effort to undermine a “historical project”.
Practical fixes and political stakes
Officials and party leaders on different sides framed the episode in contrasting ways: opposition parties portrayed the visuals as evidence of substandard work on a high-cost project, while BJP representatives pointed to a focused engineering shortcoming at a localised stormwater shaft and promised corrective action.
- Opposition view: The visuals are indicative of poor construction and alleged corruption at a high-cost public project.
- Ruling party response: The waterlogging is due to an undersized stormwater shaft at the site; the problem will be addressed through engineering adjustments and landscaping changes.
- Public impact: The incident has prompted scrutiny of project execution and future maintenance arrangements for an airport intended to serve large passenger volumes.
The exchange underscores the political sensitivity surrounding major infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh, a state where large capital works are often focal points of public debate over governance, expenditure and employment benefits. NIA’s promoters and local government have emphasised the airport’s potential to generate jobs and investment in the region; critics argue that initial operational issues may affect public confidence.
| Stakeholder | Reaction |
|---|---|
| Samajwadi Party (Akhilesh Yadav) | Called the visuals proof of corruption and mockingly asked if boats would be needed at the airport |
| Aam Aadmi Party | Described footage as exposing substandard construction and alleged corruption |
| Congress | Shared video criticising the airport’s condition |
| BJP (Dhirendra Singh, Mahesh Sharma) | Defended the project; cited a small stormwater shaft and said corrective work and redesign will follow |
Engineers and administrators involved in airport projects commonly draw attention to the role of drainage design, landscaping and temporary works in early operational phases. Local BJP leaders suggested the problem was limited to one exit’s stormwater management and would be fixed without compromising overall airport operations.
The episode is likely to keep the spotlight on installation, quality-control and post-construction maintenance arrangements at major public infrastructure sites in Uttar Pradesh, particularly as Noida International Airport ramps up services and passenger handling. Those watching the situation say prompt remedial action and transparent communication from authorities will be important to reassure travellers and investors.
As of Wednesday, there was no official technical statement from the airport operator detailing the precise cause of the waterlogging or a timeline for the proposed corrective works. Local political leaders have continued to trade barbs on social platforms while also outlining their versions of the facts.
