They stole everything that was growing: the opening of an elite Indian airport ended in mayhem
What was supposed to be a source of national pride for the state of Andhra Pradesh turned into a nationwide viral embarrassment in a matter of hours.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram cost the budget approximately 47–50 billion rupees (about $500 million).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally attended the grand opening on August 1, 2026. But as soon as security let its guard down, a crowd of local residents flooded the premises.
Indian media and social media are currently exploding with footage of the epic storming:
Instead of taking selfies in front of the modern terminal, hundreds of people rushed into the newly landscaped areas along the roads. Residents began mass-uprooting decorative plants and flowers straight from the ground—along with their roots and clumps of soil. The videos captured dozens of men and women calmly carrying armfuls of expensive landscaping greenery back to their homes to "plant in their yards." Some even tried to carry away small tree saplings.
The looters did not stop at the landscaping. In front of the terminal entrance, builders had installed a beautiful, multi-tiered system of decorative fountains. The crowd quickly found a practical use for them: people climbed into the water in their clothes and shoes, swimming, splashing, and playing as if it were a free water park. Children and adults used the edges of the fountain as a beach area, and within a few hours, the water in the basins turned into a muddy black sludge.
Rage is boiling across the Indian internet. Users are shocked by the total lack of "civic sense." Locals are leaving bitter comments like: "We try to build world-class infrastructure like in Singapore or Dubai, but with this mentality, we are doomed to live in filth." The airport management is currently conducting an emergency damage assessment, hiring additional security, and promising to put fences around all the lawns.
