In a bid to bolster connectivity and ease of travel in the post-pandemic world, a new direct flight was commissioned from Goa to Rajkot on July 15. The maiden operation ferried about 70 passengers to Gujarat, where it was honoured by a water cannon salute. While the grand gesture marks the goodwill of the states towards a ‘new normal’, it has netizens divided over the shortage of water resources in other parts of the country.
Grand welcome by Rajkot Airport Authorities
#WATCH | Gujarat: Rajkot Airport Authority gave water cannon salute to welcome first-ever direct flight between Goa & Rajkot which started yesterday pic.twitter.com/nzVeCinzyO
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2021
A Spicejet aircraft hit the Rajkot runway on Thursday and was received by a grand welcome here. The Airport Authorities had stationed water cannons on either side of the landing strip, which washed the flight soon after arrival. As per reports, the runway salute also set the tone of encouragement for boosted tourism, across India.
In the video, the water salute grabbed several eyeballs, however, not for the intended reason. Netizens took to a state of frenzy at the sight of exorbitant wastage of water. Plenty of people brought the issue of scarcity of water in Delhi to the foreground, condemning and criticising the gesture.
Where do you side on this debate? Do you think that this water salute was nothing but wastage of resources or a welcoming gesture? Let us know in the comments below!
