High security at airport to be maintained

Security at the Mumbai airport, which had been fortified following the Mumbai terror attacks in the city last month, has been permanently positioned to maintain the status quo.

Security at the Mumbai airport, which had been fortified following the Mumbai terror attacks in the city last month, has been permanently positioned to maintain the status quo. 8220;Whatever the position is, with the bunkers and quick response teams QRT in place, we8217;re not toning down the security,8221; said a Central Industrial Security Force CISF official.

8220;We have no intention of stepping down security and will manage with whatever resources we have,8221; said another senior CISF official, on condition of anonymity responding to a query by Newsline on the current shortage of manpower that the force is facing at the airport.

Post the terror attacks and following intelligence warnings that major Indian airports are on the terrorists8217; radar, security at the Mumbai airport was beefed up substantially with the deployment of Quick Response Teams QRTs and sand bunkers. Apart from increasing their presence at the domestic and international terminals, vigilance at the airport8217;s city side in coordination with the airport police station was also beefed up.

Philip Cash, director, Mumbai International Airport Limited MIAL said, 8220;We8217;re in the process of assessing security needs and drawing up a plan but at the same time we cannot disclose our security plans.8221;

The airport operator is also in the process of deploying the Perimeter Instrument Detection System PIDS to secure the airport8217;s perimeter that stretches to 18 kilometre. The system is a combination of three kinds of surveillance systems- close circuit television cameras CCTVs, infrared detection and radio frequency , which will be backed by a radio control room.