Nepal Police proposes plan toBoost TIA security


KATHMANDU: It has been almost

nine years now that Indian Airlines flight

IC 814, which took

off from the Tribhuwan

International Airport on December 24, 1999, was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan, leaving a passenger dead in the seven-day fiasco.

It is only now that the government has allowed

IA to conduct its own

security check at the tarmac of TIA, using a portable X-ray machine.

The Airport Security Plan and Aviation Security Challenges, proposed by the Nepal Police and other security bodies to the Nepal government, states that the existing TIA facilities must be improved upon in key areas for better security.


Expansion, Infrastructure Development

With an increase in the arrival and departure traffic at TIA, there is an urgent need to shift the VVIP/VIP parking areas to another location. Due to its close proximity to the common parking area, the existing parking space for the VVIP/VIPs is considered unsafe from the security point of view.

There is a need for separate access roads to the international and the domestic terminals. The steel perimeter fencing around the TIA has come off at several places and needs to be repaired urgently to bar unauthorised persons from entering the airport area.


Regular Electricity

Suppy

There should be a non-stop regular supply of electricity in all the areas within the TIA complex. An additional generator set should be installed so that no part of TIA is without power during power outage.


Electronic Barrier

and Screening Equipment

An electronic barrier should be installed to monitor the incoming and outgoing vehicles. Such a barrier will help stop any

vehicle trying to flee from the airport. There is also a need for vehicle search mirrors to check vehicles entering the airport. Additional close circuit cameras and television sets (CCTV) should be installed, while the damaged ones should be replaced.

Only 11 of the 32 CCTVs installed at the TIA are functional. Most of the

baggage x-ray machines are old and at times do not function properly. They should be replaced. Domestic and international airport terminal pass holder gates, the immigration exit gate, as well as the Cargo Complex building’s (outgoing cargo) pass holder’s gate should either be replaced or repaired.

Due to the shortage of adequate barracks for the Airport Security Personnel, including senior police officers and women police personnel, additional barracks should be constructed on the airport premises with adequate bathrooms, kitchens and rest rooms.

Automatic Teller Machines should be installed in the arrival and departure areas. There is a need to install a magnetic entry

card system so that only authorised personnel can have access to the main control room of the airport tower. There is also a

need to provide fluorescent jackets to the security personnel working in the airport apron area.

Manpower Deployment

The existing deployment of security personnel at the TIA is not adequate. The number of police personnel needs to be increased to 474 from the present strength of 306. Since they are assigned for the security of TIA, they should to be well-trained. They have not been provided airport security training so far, which can invite disaster.

The strength of traffic control police personnel deployed at TIA should also be increased to at least 15.

Strictness should be followed while providing temporary passes to visitors. The existing practice of issuing temporary visitor passes without photograph of the visitor should be stopped. Passes must not be issued without proper identification of a visitor.

It is also recommended that all authorised personnel working on the Airport premises should wear a standard uniform for easy identification.