LAPSES IN AIRPORT SECURITY
LOOPHOLES Several airports did not have the required 30day CCTV recording
NEW DELHI: A review meeting on security at airports across the country conducted by the Union civil aviation ministry has found lapses in key areas, including the lack of mandatory CCTV recording at several airports. The meeting, held on September 12, found that six airports do not have the mandatory 30-day CCTV recordings required as per guidelines, while some major airports do not have enough surveillance cameras. The 98 airports that the CISF monitors require a total of 10,000 cameras, but fall short by 1,400 cameras, the review found.
NEW DELHI: A review meeting on security at airports across the country conducted by the Union civil aviation ministry has found lapses in key areas, including the lack of mandatory CCTV recording at several airports.
The meeting, held on September 12, found that six airports do not have the mandatory 30-day CCTV recordings required as per guidelines, while some major airports do not have enough surveillance cameras.
The 98 airports that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) monitor require a total of 10,000 cameras, but fall short by 1,400 cameras, the review found. Of these, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport has a shortfall of 480 cameras, while airports in Coimbatore, Kolkata and Chennai are also facing shortages.
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) did not respond to a query sent by HT regarding security cameras.
The ministry also found that security agencies at 10 airports, including Amritsar, Ahmadabad, Tiruchirapalli, Guwahati, Pune and Goa, are also facing problems due to the non-integration of new and old cameras. Out of the 100 operational airports, six are run by private companies.
“This is the third meeting on security and modern surveillance equipment,” said a ministry official who asked not to be named. “We have asked AAI (Airports Authority of India) to expedite the installation of modern CCTV cameras at airports. Private operators have also been asked to get their act together,” the official added.
Airports where recording for the mandated period are not available are Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Dibrugarh, Amritsar, Dehradun and Udaipur, according to the review. While AAI declined to comment, Hyderabad airport said there was no problem with its cameras.
“We have the required 30 days recording at Hyderabad airport, covering all critical areas. We keep on upgrading our security systems with new technologies,” said a spokesperson for GHIAL (GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd), who asked not to be named. “We have taken up the revamping of existing CCTV surveillance system to make it more robust...we will be adding more smart CCTVs with advanced features such as tracking, alerting and video analytics features soon,” the spokesperson added.
The review meeting was attended by representatives of AAI, private airport operators, Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and CISF. “Most of the airports are undergoing expansion, and due to construction activities CCTV cameras are not functional. We are taking up the matter at the airport level and also at the ministry level,” a CISF official said on condition of anonymity.
Shiv Nath, a retired UP cadre police officer, said: “Installing CCTV cameras is not the issue, but maintenance is. Also, its positioning is extremely important, so that no area is left uncovered.”