Visakhapatnam: Days after the grand inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) International Airport at Bhogapuram, the state of the art facility has found itself at the centre of an unexpected controversy. Viral videos circulating on social media show visitors uprooting decorative plants from the airport premises and carrying them away, while others were seen wading into an ornamental fountain, drawing sharp criticism from netizens over the misuse of newly created public infrastructure.
The videos, recorded shortly after the airport was opened to the public following its inauguration, quickly spread across social media platforms and sparked a debate on civic responsibility, crowd management and the protection of public assets. While many users expressed disbelief at the scenes, others questioned why security personnel were unable to prevent the incidents.
One of the clips shows several individuals casually walking away with ornamental plants that had been placed around the airport as part of its landscaping. In another widely shared video, groups of visitors can be seen stepping into a decorative fountain, splashing water and treating the area like a recreational space instead of a public facility.
The airport, officially named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 as one of Andhra Pradesh’s most significant infrastructure projects. Built at an estimated cost of nearly rs 5,000 crore, the greenfield airport has been developed at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district to serve the Visakhapatnam region and northern coastal Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to strengthen connectivity, support tourism, attract investments and reduce operational constraints at the existing Visakhapatnam Airport, which functions from the Indian Navy’s INS Dega airbase.
In its first phase, the airport has been designed to handle around six million passengers annually, with a long term expansion plan that could increase its capacity to 40 million passengers. Commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin from August 17, when civilian services will gradually shift from the existing Visakhapatnam Airport to the new facility.
The viral videos, however, have overshadowed the celebrations surrounding the airport’s launch. Social media users described the acts as embarrassing and irresponsible, arguing that such behaviour damages public property funded by taxpayers. Many called for stricter security arrangements, surveillance and penalties for anyone found vandalising or removing government property from public spaces.
Several online commentators also pointed out that large public inaugurations often attract thousands of curious visitors, making crowd control a major challenge. They stressed that awareness about respecting public infrastructure is just as important as building world class facilities.
As of Wednesday evening, there has been no official confirmation of any arrests or legal action against those seen in the viral videos. Authorities have also not issued a detailed statement regarding the incidents, although the clips continue to generate widespread discussion online.
The episode has become a reminder that while India continues to invest heavily in modern infrastructure, preserving these assets ultimately depends not only on security measures but also on public responsibility and civic discipline.
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