Earlier too, when it had rained in May — barely a month after the Rs 500 crore terminal was opened for commercial use on April 19 — a part of the roof had collapsed and water had seeped through, airport sources said.

Airport sources said that patches above the checking and security hold areas, as well as the departure lounge have now been affected. While flight operations are on in full swing, these unwarranted leakages have put a dampener on the mood of the airport staff. One said: “The roof leaked at several places on June 30, when the Capital was showered with heavy rains.”

Sources said security scanners and other equipment were either damaged, switched off or had to be taken off the hook because officials feared a short-circuit from the leaks. The damaged machines, however, have been repaired, an official said.

Frequent flier Jyotsna Krishnan was visibly irritated at the state of affairs in the new terminal. “It is unbelievable to see leaks in a so-called world-class facility,” she said. “Is the entire building a sham? What are we paying in the name of airport development fee and why?”

The Delhi International Airport Limited or DIAL — the promoters of the airport — is looking at the rains as a litmus test to gauge the terminal’s resistance to inclement weather. DIAL spokesperson Arun Arora said: “It wasn’t raining at all when the terminal was being constructed. A facility’s resistance to water is measured by Rosenbauer engines which sprinkle water artificially on an under-construction building. A building’s real test comes only after the initial few natural rains.”

While he denied reports of equipment going kaput due to the leaks, Arora said the terminal has surplus belts, which can be used if the others are afflicted by any problem.

“It is only during the natural rains that we can assess the strength of a construction. Our men do a real-time checking of the roof every time it rains. And leakages, if any, have been plugged now,” he said.