HC asks Centre to install thermal scanners at Pune, Nagpur airports at the earliest

The Centre’s lawyers said either the scanners could be shifted from other airports to Pune and Napgur airports or repair work of two scanners lying idle could be carried out. “It may cost around Rs 13 lakh and take four months to get functional,” said Rodrigues. The HC, however, said health safety could not be compromised at any cost.

The HC had last week asked the state government to provide medical screening facilities at Pune and Nagpur airports, on the lines of such facilities at Mumbai and Delhi. The state had filed an affidavit stating scanners were not put up at these two airports.

The Centre Thursday said it had received a request from the state in this regard but did not have thermal scanners to comply with the court order.

The Centre had earlier said all passengers alighting from aircraft originating from the four Ebola-affected west African nations were subjected to screening by “hi-tech” thermal scanners installed at the entry points of airports. The Centre further submitted in the HC that passengers who approached immigration counters without undergoing health check-up were refused clearances and sent back to the health counters. They are bound to get a stamp and doctor’s signature.