Post the recent Mumbai blasts, all Indian metros were put on high-alert. Despite police being vigilant and warding off any attacks on strategic places, they received one bomb scare. It was swiftly acted upon, sections of the media reported it as country bombs, but it later turned out to be firecrackers!
Even at Chennai airport, the officials plunged into action and tightened the security to avoid any sort of mishaps earlier this year, due to a similar hoax. Director of the Chennai airport, Harindranathan, says, “We have a protocol in place, which is followed at times of bomb threats and alerts. The airport has a tie up with the Central Industrial Security Force, and we have officers stationed at all crucial points. Ever since the Mumbai blasts took place, we have intensified the security at the airport.”
Talking about the procedure that follows at times of a hoax call, Harindranathan says, “We immediately get our security officers to cross check whether it’s a hoax and a separate squad functions that focuses on alerting the passengers.”
By being panicky we would utterly fail in taking appropriate action against this menace and as Mumbai incident showed that people of Mumbai preferred to brave it out!
