The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has decided to enhance security at 51 airports across the country in a time-bound manner, in order to thwart any possible terror attack or sabotage. This decision was taken yesterday at a security review meeting chaired by Gopal K Pillai, Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

MoHA has directed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to ensure installation of CCTV cameras in vital locations at all airports, deployment of adequate security staff, raising of perimeter wall and setting up of enough watch towers. The Ministry also directed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for providing security to most of the airports, to ensure bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs are available.

An official from the Ministry said, “Though we have no major problem in the security of Delhi and Mumbai Airports, there are certain gaps in the security of airports like Hyderabad. We have directed plugging of all loopholes within a stipulated time. There are around 40,000 ground handling staff working in Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport alone in three shifts. The time-frame for implementing some parts of the plan will be June 30, 2010 while the deadline for some others is December 2010.”

MoHA also directed the concerned authorities to initiate the process of installing biometric entry system for employees at all airports so that no unauthorised person can get access. It said that sensors should be installed on boundary walls of airports to detect unauthorised entry by scalling of walls.