DIAL, the operator of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, has filed an FIR against 63 social media handles for allegedly circulating misleading and factually incorrect posts about waterlogging at the airport, including an old video from Dubai that was presented as footage from Delhi.
The FIR was filed with the Delhi Police after heavy rainfall caused temporary water accumulation at the arrival forecourt of Terminal 3 on September 4. DIAL said the accumulation was cleared within 20 minutes and that airport operations were not affected.
In a statement, Delhi International Airport Ltd said some social media posts depicted flooding and waterlogging at the airport while falsely suggesting that flight operations had been disrupted. The operator said one of the posts used an old video of waterlogging at Dubai airport and claimed it showed conditions at Delhi airport.
“The circulation of misleading content by certain social media handles appears to be a deliberate attempt to create public mischief, damage the reputation of a public utility service, and generate unwarranted concerns among passengers,” DIAL said.
The filing comes amid wider concerns about waterlogging in areas surrounding the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Heavy rain affected several locations around the airport, including the Dwarka underpass connecting Palam with the domestic terminal area. The underpass was heavily flooded, briefly stranding a Delhi Transport Corporation bus, while other buses were diverted.
Another underpass connecting Mahipalpur, Mehrauli and Vasant Kunj was also affected by the rainfall. The incidents highlighted the number of agencies responsible for different stretches around the airport, including the Public Works Department, DIAL and the National Highways Authority of India.
The waterlogging also raised questions about coordination among civic and infrastructure agencies ahead of the BRICS Summit. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu had reviewed waterlogging-related issues with relevant departments and called for greater coordination among agencies, according to the report.
DIAL operates the national capital’s airport, which handles more than 1,300 flight movements each day. The operator said the temporary water accumulation at Terminal 3 did not affect airport operations and that the situation was resolved within 20 minutes.
