The Hindu : Major airports may get power fencing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 06, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Major airports may get power fencing

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 5. The Central Industrial Security Force is exploring the possibility of installing power or infrared fencing along the perimeter walls of some of the major airports as that would bring down the manpower requirement in keeping vigil on their boundaries, which stretch from 15 to 20 kilometres, the CISF Director-General, K.M. Singh, announced here today.

Addressing the annual Press conference, Mr Singh said the force, which is now securing 47 airports across the country through deployment of around 11,500 personnel, is keen on installation of better security systems and equipment to make its functioning more efficient and less manpower-intensive as the force charges for its services and wants to remain cost-effective. Pointing out that electronic fences have been set up around several atomic installations, he said they assist in better monitoring of the boundaries.

Noting that there has been a "catalytic change in the profile'' of the force which now uses only 60 per cent of its manpower for securing industrial units while the rest are utilised for other specialised security operations, Mr Singh said CISF is also securing 45 Government buildings in Delhi and Chandigarh besides important heritage buildings such as Red Fort in Delhi, Taj Mahal at Agra and Salarjang Museum in Hyderabad.

Following the hijacking of the IC-814 Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar, the Director General said airport security had been handed over to CISF. Pointing out that Quick Reaction Teams have been deployed at all the airports, he said in the wake of the recent arrest of three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in Jammu and Kashmir who had planned attacking the Delhi airport, "the security has been suitably sensitised''.

To meet the needs of the airport security training, a Civil Aviations Security Institute is being established at the National Industrial Security Academy at Hyderabad. The Academy, he said, also houses the Fire Service Training Institute, which is being developed as a resource centre for Disaster Management and is conducting courses for various civil departments of States and Indian Police Service offices besides CISF personnel.

Averring that CISF has now marked two battalions for disaster management, Mr Singh said along with six other battalions being drawn from other central para-military forces, these would be stationed in different parts of the country and would serve the role of the first responders in the event of a disaster.Mr Singh said CISF, which is also offering consultancy services, does not require budgetary funding as it raises money from those States or organisations which utilise its services. Declaring that there was no immediate need for increasing the strength of the force from the present 95,000, Mr Singh said if required some personnel can be drawn from the public sector undertakings for redeployment.

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