At a time when the terror attack at Brussels’ Zaventem airport has brought the spotlight on security, the government is yet to provide CISF cover to over two dozen airports classified as sensitive or
At a time when the terror attack at Brussels’ Zaventem airport has brought the spotlight on security, the government is yet to provide CISF cover to over two dozen airports classified as sensitive or hyper-sensitive owing to a lack of funds.
A total of 27 such airports in India are being secured by other security forces like the CRPF, India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) or state police units, keeping the designated aviation security force CISF out.
A report by the parliamentary standing committee on transport, Tourism and Culture had also expressed concern in early 2016, saying it found it “quite scary to know that the security of eight of our hyper-sensitive and 19 of our sensitive airports are not covered by the CISF which has now become the only specialised force for aviation security.”
The nearly 1.42 lakh-strong CISF has a dedicated and trained unit for airport security called the Aviation Security Group (ASG), and has almost 22,000 men and women commandos in it headed by an Additional Director General-rank officer.
The CISF also has observed the need to step up security at airports saying it is imperative for national security. The committee has recommended that the force should be deployed on priority to hyper-sensitive and sensitive airports.
Out of the 26 hyper-sensitive airports in the country, like the ones in Mumbai and Delhi, 18 are under CISF cover while six, including Srinagar, are not. There are 56 airports under the sensitive category, out of which only 37 are patrolled by the CISF, and amongst 16 normal airports, only four have CISF security.
Out of the total 98 functional airports in the country, 59 are under CISF cover leaving out 39.
“The committee recommends all the airports rated hyper-sensitive from security angle be given to CISF as soon as possible followed by the sensitive airports. In view of shortages of manpower and logistics available with CISF, security of normal airports can continue with state police for the time being. But these airports also be given all modern equipment, training etc,” the committee said.
