The recent deadly terror attack at Moscows Domodedovo airport has set off alarm bells here with the government urgently scheduling a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Monday to conduct a full review of security at airports,particularly in the arrival area. The Home Ministry,sources said,has already started a review with the Central Industrial Security Force the CISF is deployed at all key airports to check each aspect of airport security,beginning with the perimeter area to the concourse. Its learnt that North Block is keen on implementing a concourse security plan for every airport in the country,which airport authorities including security officials have been saying is difficult to implement. However,what happened at Domodedovo airport has brought the focus back on the concourse area at the airports,namely the departure and arrival terminals. At Domodedovo,the suicide bomber walked into the arrival terminal with a suitcase laden with explosives and blew up,killing 35 persons. The fear is that this could be a possibility at an Indian airport too. There is no checking of people who walk into the arrival terminal to receive passengers. Once a token has been purchased,officials said,any visitor can walk into the meeting area inside the terminal. Even on the departure side,there is no security check for passengers to enter the terminal other than a ticket and a valid ID. The baggage screening is inside the terminal,added officials. In fact,its learnt that the government is now actively considering to order physical security check along with frisking at the entry gates to the terminal itself. While that may obviate some of the problems,the basic issue before the security agencies is to begin the screening before the passengers or visitors enter the terminal building. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and other relevant security agencies have been asked to draw up possible solutions so that the CCS can then take stock of the situation and accordingly take measures. These would include considering the feasibility of a holding area outside the terminal building. Either way,sources said,the attack has once again shown up the vulnerabilities at an airport despite these being among the most guarded public installations. With Home Minister P Chidambaram slated to return from Davos on Sunday,the government clearly did not want to waste any time in getting the CCS together.
