Chennai: Union minister of state for commerce and industry, Nirmala Sitharaman was supplied with mineral water to use in restroom as a pipeline burst left Chennai airport without water for three hours on Thursday.
Washrooms and canteen taps went dry between 1 and 4 pm as the shortage affected both the international and domestic terminals. The cause was identified as a burst pipeline used to carry water from a sump near the old airport to the new terminals.
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had arrived from Madurai via an Air India flight at 3.15 p.m. before departing to Delhi, was resting in the VVIP lounge, where too the supply had been cut as authorities diverted manpower to rectify the situation.
Sources told DC that the airport authorities had to resort to filling the bathroom supply of the VVIP lounge using 20 litre mineral water cans, so that the minister would not realise there was water shortage.
The not-so-privileged ordinary flyers ended up picking a quarrel with airport authorities and some even pointed out that they were being surcharged '230 on their tickets for the basic services like water supply provided to them.
When Deccan Chronicle contacted airport officials, they said that the pipeline could have burst due to varying temperatures.
“It was cold in the morning on Thursday and the temperature suddenly shot up during the day. This could have resulted in pressure building up within the main. We have taken sufficient action now and we will ensure that this will not repeat again,” said an official.
