Noida airport waterlogging sparks political storm as Akhilesh takes aim at BJP

A spell of torrential rain has stirred a political storm around the newly built Noida International Airport, after videos showing water accumulation near the terminal prompted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to take a swipe at the BJP government.

Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed water pooled along the stretch connecting the terminal with the parking area at the Jewar-based greenfield airport, with airport personnel seen working to clear the accumulation.

Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, shared one such video on X on Wednesday morning and took a sharp jibe at the state government.

“Will boats now operate at the airport? Wherever there is a BJP government, there is mega-corruption!” he posted.

Airport authorities, however, sought to douse the controversy, saying the water accumulation was temporary, caused by an intense spell of rain on Tuesday, and did not disrupt either flight operations or passenger movement.

According to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government, water accumulated briefly on the road linking the terminal and parking area following exceptionally heavy rainfall. Airport teams moved swiftly to drain the water, restoring normal movement within 30 minutes, the statement said.

“Following which movement on the route became completely normal,” the government said, adding that flight operations and passenger movement continued without disruption.

The authorities said teams remained on alert and were closely monitoring weather conditions to ensure that rain-related disruptions did not inconvenience passengers.

The incident has nevertheless provided fresh ammunition for political sparring over the airport, which was inaugurated on 28 March 2026 and has been projected as a landmark piece of infrastructure built to international standards.

Developed under a public-private partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government, the greenfield airport is being positioned as a major aviation hub for the National Capital Region.

Airport authorities maintained that the brief water accumulation was the result of a sudden burst of exceptionally heavy rain and stressed that response teams were prepared to safeguard movement between the terminal and parking facilities.

“The priority is to ensure passenger convenience and uninterrupted movement amid weather-related conditions,” the authorities said.

With PTI inputs