CISF wakes up around airport

Following MiD DAY's report on weakly-patrolled areas, CISF deploys armed guardu00a0in watchtower; police, however, are still to respond to the threat

MiD DAY's report on weakly-patrolled, sensitive areas around the Mumbai airport has served as an eye-opener for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

But a revisit to the areas on the airport's periphery revealed that the Mumbai Police is yet to wake up to the threat.


There was no security officer in this watchtower located at the corner of the airport when MiD DAY first reported the security threat on January 14.u00a0When we went back on Wednesday, we found an armed CISF guard manning it


On Wednesday, when we went back to the watchtower at the corner of the airport, which was empty during MiD DAY's earlier survey (as reported in 'Is the airport really safe?', January 14), we found an armed CISF guard manning it.u00a0

The hillock on the airport's outer reaches, however, remains a thinly-guarded area. Jhari Mari Dargah, a point from which the entire airport can be viewed without obstruction, had no policemen present when MiD DAY went there again.

"Please don't click any photographs. Photography is banned here," said a small kid who comes to the dargah to play every day and warns visitors for fear of losing his playground.
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This reporter was at the dargah for one hour but spotted no policemen. "They come once in the morning and sometimes also in the evening," said a woman devotee.

A man in his thirties spotted MiD DAY's photographer at the dargah and called the police to complain.
We saw some policemen rushing there but they did not notice us.

This is part of MiD DAY's month-long audit of experiences of travelling in and out of the city, where we take up people's issues and place them before the authorities to address.

So far in the campaign...

Up in the air
To kickstart the campaign, MiD DAY aired passenger complaints regarding airlines misplacing, mishandling and damaging their luggage.u00a0
Following up on fleecing cabbies at the airport, we found that the ingenious cheats still manage to trap the odd gullible passenger.
We reported on how smartly-dressed touts, sporting fake uniforms of reputed hotels, take tourists for a ride at the airport.

Down by the tracks
Urinals at railway stations on the central and western lines are a breeding ground for diseases.
Paan-stained, filthy stations .

Taking the road less travelled
MiD DAY took a bone-shattering ride alongside regular passengers of MSRTC buses only to find that, barring a few, they continue to be rickety as ever.
MiD DAY found that passengers coming to the city by train are left to the mercy of the auto and taxi mafia outside stations, who quote ridiculous fares.