There is no excuse for shoddy work, even less so when it's in a public space. The collapse of the ceiling at the new wing of the Dabolim Airport isn't just an embarrassing incident for the Airports Authority of India and the contractor, but for Goa and its identity as a tourism destination too.
The collapse happened in the security check area of the new wing just after noon on Saturday, injuring two people and causing a major PR disaster for Goa. Even though Dabolim Airport Director KS Rao aims to take the contractor to task, the question that needs to be asked is, how was this allowed to happen? A false ceiling, which includes metal sheets, doesn't collapse at the drop of a hat. It is something that builds up over days or weeks. Shouldn't there be checks every now and then to maintain the structural integrity of the new wing? It is pertinent to note that this is not even the first time that the false ceiling collapsed. Surely there should have been an overall check done once the false ceiling came down near the toilets recently?
As a tourist destination that sees thousands of visitors pass through the airport, the last thing Goa needs is a situation where portions of the airport are compromised. But, the most surprising point of all is that this happened in an airport wing that is less than 20 months old.
