Bhubaneswar: Following the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s (BCAS) direction to all Indian airports, security has been tightened in the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here after the Centre scrapped Article 370, August 5.
As per the BPIA authorities, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is being observed strictly following which the deployment of more armed security personnel has been pressed into action both inside and outside of the airport terminals while a three-tier security checking is being conducted.
The BPIA, which is now of the busiest airports of the country, is being closely monitored with 132 CCTV cameras deployed in its vicinity. About 67 of these cameras have been deployed at the Domestic Terminal and 44 at Terminal 2 to keep a close eye on any kind of suspicious activity. While passengers are being frisked and the entry of visitors restricted, the airport authorities have also asked visitors to park the vehicles in designated places.
“Security measures have been enhanced and officials have been asked to conduct random inspection in the airport to thwart any kind of suspicious activities. Besides, movements inside the airport premises have also been restricted,” said BPIA director Suresh Chandra Hota.
Security at airports is usually beefed up every year at the airports across the country on the eve of Independence Day celebrations to thwart any possible security threats. However, The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which had already tightened security at airports post Pulwama attack, will oversee further enhancement of security at the airport much before Independence Day as an additional measure following abrogation of Article 370.
“An alarm will be automatically raised if any suspicious object is found lying inside the terminal for over 15 minutes without any possessor. Passengers have been advised to do early check-ins to get their boarding passes,” an official said.
The SOP will remain in force till further order by the Centre.