VADODARA: Videos of rainwater dripping from ‘cracks’ inside the viewing gallery of world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity – are going viral. However, authorities on Saturday denied the presence of any cracks and said that the so-called cracks were, in fact, part of the design to allow tourists to have a clear view of the natural surroundings.

The viewing gallery is located at a height of 153 metres inside the Statue of Unity dedicated to India’s Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel . The 182-metre statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2018.

In the videos, visitors can be seen carefully staying away from rainwater dropping from the ceiling above. Others are simply enjoying the scenic beauty of the surroundings of the statue and capturing the grand view from the height.

Amidst heavy rains that Narmada district has been witnessing since Friday, the apparent ‘cracks’ in the ceiling of the viewing gallery have become a point of discussion.

“Rainwater is dripping inside the viewing gallery because of its design, which has been purposefully kept open for tourists to enjoy the sight of Narmada,” chief administrator of Statue of Unity IK Patel told TOI, ruling out any cracks in the ceiling of the viewing gallery.

“The viewing gallery has been designed in a way so that viewers can enjoy the natural surroundings. There is no obstacle or a glass installed on the façade of the viewing gallery. It has been kept open for the simple reason that people can enjoy the experience of watching the natural beauty from such a height. Naturally, at such a height, rainwater would enter the gallery when there are heavy winds,” said Patel. Officials said that while rainwater did get accumulated on the front side of the viewing gallery, it was not so on the rear side where glasses have been fixed.

