On Thursday, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) temporarily closed operations till 3pm on Sunday because of waterlogging. The disruption will affect all domestic and international services. The decision to shut the airport came a few hours after south-west monsoon picked momentum in Kerala on Thursday.
Agreeing to Kerala government's request, the Indian Navy has opened the Kochi Naval Base Airport. The airport was opened following the closing of Cochin International Airport till Sunday.
Airport emergency contact numbers: 0484 3053500, 9072604009
What we know so far?
Water level in Periyar river began to rise on Thursday. Water from Chengal Thodu, a narrow canal that flows along the southern part of the airport boundary wall, began to seep into the airport, inundating the runway, fire station and taxi way. The airport officials first decided to shut operations till 9 am on Friday. But the closure has been extended till Sunday because of the heavy rain prediction.
Is waterlogging a perennial issue in Cochin Airport?
Cochin International Airport remained closed for 15 days during the floods in August 2018. It was closed for two days during the 2013 floods.
What causes waterlogging in Cochin Airport?
The airport, which was opened in 1999, is hardly 500 metres from the Periyar river. It lies on the floodplain of Periyar. Several water bodies had been realigned during the construction of the airport. Among them were Chengal Thodu, a creek that served as a distributary from the Periyar river, and three irrigation canals that provide water to nearby paddy fields. The airport’s drainage system leads into the Chengal Thodu, which in turn is connected to Periyar. Environmental activists say the realignment narrowed the creek and this is causing the flooding.
Is waterlogging related to the revised design?
The airport project got the clearance on the basis of an environmental impact assessment. The clearance letter said: “For diversion of Chengal Thodu, appropriate measures such as construction of bund/diversion canal etc to regulate the flow of water from Periyar River into the existing Chengal Thodu must be adopted to ensure that the overall hydrology of the area does not change.”
But the airport authorities revised the original design during the land acquisition. In the revised design, the eastern boundary extended till the Periyar river.
