The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the concerned authorities after the 61st time a glass sheet fell at the Chennai Airport recently. Notices were sent, following a complaint, to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, and Chairman, Airports Authority of India, on why no action has been taken for so long.

According to the complaint, within six months of its complete renovation and inauguration in January 2013, the glass ceilings, false ceilings, window panels, and granite slabs at the new domestic and international terminals of the Chennai Airport began to fall. As a result, there is now a constant fear among those who use the airport, including passengers and employees.

Last Wednesday, for the 61st time, a glass panel of a window crashed. This time it was near the check in area of the domestic terminal. It was sheer luck that none of the passengers were injured in these falls. Previously, some passengers had escaped by the breadth of a hair when an eight-feet-tall glass wall fell down in the month of February this year.

Questioning the quality of construction at the Chennai Airport, Justice D. Murugesan, of the NHRC, said that ensuring the safety of the passengers is one of the most important duties of the airport authorities, and added that it was really surprising that no action was taken despite 61 incidents of glass falls.