Round-the-clock alert, round-the-clock panic

By Pranab Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 20. Air defence systems in and around the Capital have been put on full alert and radar screens are being monitored round the clock by defence authorities following the terrorist strikes in New York this past week.

Though officials claim that most of the security measures were already in place as far as the Indian air space is concerned, the terrorist strikes in have led to greater emphasis on foolproof execution of these measures. The urgency to react, according to officials, stems from the fact that hardly anyone had imagined the kind of horror perpetrated on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In contrast to many other countries, flight plans of all aircraft almost anywhere in the Indian air space are handed over to the Indian Air Force for approval. In Delhi, for instance, an Air Force detachment is permanently stationed in the Air Traffic Control tower of Indira Gandhi International Airport. Its task is to check flight plans of all aircraft entering Delhi and provide them with an Air Defence Clearance Number.

Despite all these arrangements, considerable panic has set in among the authorities following the apocalypse that dawned on New York and Washington. As a result, defence authorities have now switched on all their radars and a constant vigil is kept. Apparently, even mobile radar facilities are operating on a 24- hour basis.

However, none of these measures have in any way reduced the panic generated by the terrorist strikes. Routine aviation activities have suddenly become threatening, a case in point being the U.S. Embassy's latest request for some action on diverting the path of flights taking off from Safdarjang Airstrip here in the direction of Roosevelt House at Chanakyapuri. The matter came up for discussion among the authorities and there is a suggestion to suspend all flying activities at Safdarjang barring VIP duties.

Paradoxically, the urgency among the authorities has not resolved longstanding issues of aviation security in Delhi. The Hindon air base, which at one time was the closest to the Capital with fighter-aircraft, remains non-operational. Following numerous cases of bird-hits, the fighters were shifted from there. Recommendations of the Salim Ali Committee that investigated the matter have yet to be implemented. It is understood that hi-tech equipment worth crores is lying unused at the airport for years now. So in case of a hijacked flight deviating from its path, it would take three times longer for a fighter-aircraft to reach Delhi from another air base than it would have from Hindon.

The terror unleashed by the faceless terrorists, on the other hand, has only enhanced the inconvenience of the already troubled Indian air passenger. A student travelling to Britain this week was informed by the airline a day before departure to furnish his income-tax records. Asked why, the airline cited ``security reasons'' for this last-minute demand! As each passing day adds to the list of security arrangements, the question whether these measures genuinely enhance security remains to be answered.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Ex-Minister hurt in poll clash
Next     : New NDMC chief to make Delhi `role model'