CISF introduces new security measures at Mumbai airport

As city limps back to normalcy after the 60-hour long trauma, the common man can expect some excruciating security drills in their daily lives while going to regular public places.

As city limps back to normalcy after the 60-hour long trauma, the common man can expect some excruciating security drills in their daily lives while going to regular public places. The Mumbai airport, which is already a high security zone, will be of no exception. While the airport is already on a red alert due to the maximum security threat, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has introduced a range of new security measures at the Mumbai airport, which its officials are not willing to disclose for obvious reasons. “There are a host of new security measures that we have introduced. But we cannot disclose such measures,” said CISF Sr. Commandant, Sanjay Prakash.

Although a general alert at the airport constitutes heightening of vigilance on the airport’s city side and resorting to manual baggage checks of passengers, the CISF sources revealed that this time the situation is much more tense than earlier and that is why new measures could not be revealed.

It was only earlier this year following the serial blasts in major Indian cities that security at the city’s airport was put on high alert. A unit of security personnel was deployed to keep a vigil at the airport in plain clothes. According to CISF officials, a quick response team (QRT) has been deployed at the airport and intensity of surveillance has been increased manifolds. The local police at the airport have also heightened the vigil. “While it’s not yet certain where the taxi was headed towards (referring to the Vile Parle taxi blast), we cannot take the fact casually that the blast happened very close to the airport,” said a police official attached to the Airport police station. Also, according to Senior Inspector, Airport police station, S M Guge, the police have resorted to a continuous nakabandi with the help of CISF personnel. “The security has been increased at the airport,” said Guge.

The security update at the airport also follows a high-level meeting convened on Monday by Madhavan Nambiar, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, to review the security arrangements at airports across the country. The commissioner of Civil Aviation Security, director general of Civil Aviation and IG (Airports) CISF, Airport Authority of India (AAI), attended the meeting along with other senior officials and reviewed the preparedness of the different layers of mechanism of safety and security in the airports as well as in airspace.

Meanwhile, construction work at the airport will commence starting from today. The work, which is being undertaken as part of the airport’s modernisation programme had been halted last Thursday in wake of the terror attacks. “Due to the President’s visit in the city, the work did not commence today, but will start tomorrow,” said a MIAL spokesperson.