Table of Contents
Introduction
This article highlights the risks and consequences of cost-cutting and poor planning in large infrastructure projects, particularly airports. It discusses a recent incident at Doha Airport where weak ground caused a Qatar Airways plane to sink partially into the tarmac, damaging the aircraft. The article then compares this to similar issues at Chennai Airport, where inadequate construction and ignored safety standards have led to flooding and operational limitations. By examining these cases, the article warns that essential infrastructure can become unstable and unsafe without proper investment and expertise, creating risks for people and significant repair costs in the future.
Article Explanation
Incident at Doha Airport with Qatar Airways
On October 25, 2024, a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 had an unexpected issue after landing at Doha Airport. As it was slowly moving towards its parking spot, the plane’s right main landing gear sank into the ground, causing part of the airport’s ramp area to collapse. This caused the plane’s right engine to touch the ground, resulting in damage. Fortunately, this happened while the plane was moving at a slow speed. If it had occurred during landing on the runway, when the plane was moving faster, it could have led to a much more serious accident.
The article explains that the Doha airport is built on reclaimed land, which is land that was originally underwater and is often less stable. A Japanese company that was involved in the construction of the airport had advised that the area would need to be reinforced with concrete to support the weight of heavy planes. However, to save money, a cheaper solution was chosen. The author finds it surprising that Qatar, known for its wealth, would try to cut costs on such a critical project. This incident is now raising questions about the safety and stability of the airport infrastructure.
Chennai Airport’s Expansion and Runway Issues
The article connects this problem at Doha Airport to a similar situation at Chennai Airport in India. In 2007, there was a plan to expand Chennai Airport, which included building a parallel runway to handle more flights. This plan involved constructing a bridge across the Adyar River, which flows near the airport, to connect a new parallel runway to the existing main runway. A well-known company, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), began testing the soil for the project and discovered that the soil near the river was too weak to support a runway. As a result, the idea of building a new parallel runway was abandoned.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) then decided to extend the existing runway across the river. For unknown reasons, L&T dropped out of the project, and a smaller, less experienced company called Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited (CCCL) was hired instead. This raised concerns because CCCL had no experience with complex projects like an airport bridge. AAI claimed that experts from IIT Madras approved the bridge design, but the article points out that the IIT team only checked AAI’s calculations and didn’t fully endorse the design.
Safety Concerns Due to Poor Construction in Chennai
When the bridge over the Adyar River was built, several safety standards were ignored. For example, the pillars supporting the bridge were supposed to be 1.2 meters thick but were constructed thinner. Additionally, the bridge was built lower than required to avoid flooding. In 2015, heavy floods in Chennai caused the Adyar River to overflow, and the bridge ended up blocking the natural flow of water. This worsened the flooding around the airport and caused significant damage to Coast Guard facilities, private planes, and even an Army bridge near the airport.
The floods were initially blamed on delayed water releases from Chembarambakkam Lake, which is a major water source for Chennai. However, environmentalists noted that the Adyar River’s high water levels also came from other flooded areas further west of Chennai. The poorly designed bridge in the airport area made this flooding even worse, showing how ignoring safety standards can lead to serious consequences.
Future Plans for Chennai’s New Airport at Parandur
The article then shifts to the plans for a new airport in Chennai at Parandur, an area with many natural water bodies like lakes and ponds. Building a large airport on such water-rich land will require very strong foundations and soil testing to ensure stability. The author worries that if this project, too, cuts corners to save money, it could lead to environmental and flooding issues. Covering large areas with concrete changes the natural water flow, which could worsen flooding problems, especially as extreme weather events become more common with climate change.
In addition, the article points out that if such a project is done without proper soil reinforcement, it could lead to more serious issues in the future, like those seen in Doha. This project is especially concerning because 4,000 acres of land will be used, meaning a large area of water bodies could be affected. The author suggests that large, heavy planes landing on such runways would create intense pressure, possibly leading to ground stability issues without the right construction measures
Infrastructure and Safety Problems Across India
The article also highlights a broader problem in India: major infrastructure projects, like airports and bridges, are often built with cost-saving measures that compromise safety. As a result, structures sometimes fail, leading to loss of life and costly repairs. In Chennai, the airport was once the main gateway to southern India, but delays, poor planning, and construction issues have led to Bengaluru taking over as the region’s main aviation hub.
In particular, Chennai Airport’s runway is not wide enough for large, modern airplanes like the Airbus A380, which limits the types of planes that can land there. According to international standards, wider spacing and better construction would be needed for larger planes. Even though the runway was completed over 12 years ago, it still doesn’t meet the requirements to handle the larger planes, despite AAI’s claims that it’s ready.
Final Thoughts: Ensuring Safe and Stable Infrastructure
The article emphasizes the need for better planning, investment, and construction practices, especially for projects like airports that need to handle heavy planes and constant use. Building infrastructure on reclaimed land, or areas with water bodies, requires special attention to soil strength and stability. The author argues that shortcuts and cost-cutting in such projects might save money in the short term but can lead to bigger, more expensive problems and safety risks down the line.
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