New Delhi April 9: An audit conducted by the paramilitary agency has made a shocking revelation. Only six out of 59 airports guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) are equipped to diffuse and dispose of explosives, reported Hindustan Times. This raised concerns over the security of the airports and safety of passengers. Airports at Delhi, Mumbai Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin and Hyderabad are equipped with bomb detection and diffusal squads.

According to the rules laid down by the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), airports should have 28 piece equipment which includes vapour detectors, bomb diffusal suits and remote operated vehicles for making bomb detection disposal squads operation. Unfortunately only six airports have well equipment to counter any emergency situation.

Out of the six airports which are equipped with bomb detetion and disposal squad only two are run by Airport Authority of India (AAI), the rest are private airports. A CISF officer on the condition of anonymity while speaking to Hinduatan Times said, “Even if one equipment is not available, the squad cannot be made functional. We have written to the AAI, BCAS and civil aviation ministry, asking them to provide this crucial equipment at the earliest.”

In the absence of bomb difusal squad, CISF has to call bomb difusal team from the nearest police station, which causes delay in difusing  a bomb, an anonymous aviation expert told Hindustan Times.  Due to this aviation security is at stake.

Arvind Ranjan, a former director general of the CISF told Hindustan Times, “The report is self-explanatory and there is no doubt that BDDS is essential for airport security.” The CISF officer said, “AAI has also procured 18-21 bomb detection and disposal squad equipment for 13 AAI airports. However, detection equipment-- vapour detector--has not been procured, due to which we are unable to operationalise the squad. In 59 airports, we require 1,652 equipments but only 423 are available,” reported Hindustan Times. All the airport which runs by AAI in partnership with private company Bengaluru airport is the only airport which do not have bomb detection and disposal squad operational. Bengaluru airport runs by Bengaluru international Airport limited (BIAL), which is partnership of Karnataka State Industrial investment and AAI.

Speaking to Hindustan Times AAI officer in the condition of anonymity said, ” In the first phase, we have provided equipment at 18 AAI airports…we have provided 12 of the 13 crucial equipment, which BCAS has described as priority one. We have procured bomb suits but the detector, which is the 13th equipment, will be made available by September 2018.” The CISF was set up in 1969 to provide security to the country’s biggest industrial and infrastructural set ups like airports, seaports, power plants, metro stations and government buildings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2018 01:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).