By Sahil Makkar
New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) A month before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a crack team of commandos, civil aviation personnel and others will take care of security at the capital’s international airport, which will not only see hordes of spectators but also top athletes from abroad.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) will be the first to react to any contingency at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, sources say.

“The SOG will take over the security of Delhi’s IGI Airport seven days before the commencement of the Games and will continue for five more days after the end of the event,” a highly placed source told IANS on condition of strict anonymity.

Delhi is hosting the Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14 next year and over 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 Commonwealth countries are expected to participate.

The SOG personnel will be drawn from the National Security Guard (NSG), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

The special group will function under the directions of a venue security commander - who will be a Delhi Police officer of the rank of deputy commissioner of police (DCP).

The venue security commander would be overall in-charge of security. He would be assisted by a deputy venue security commander - an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police.

“A Special Operations Centre would also be created inside the airport with the venue security commander as its in-charge. The venue security commander will start liaisoning and official communication with the organising committee Commonwealth Games a month earlier,” the source said.

Even as the SOG will be overall in-charge, officials said security at the airport has been divided among various agencies. The CISF will continue to be responsible for security inside and on the premises of the airport while Delhi Police will maintain law and order.

The CISF will also be taking care of VIPs, delegates and athletes while Black Cat commandos of the NSG will be tasked to deal with all anti-terror and anti-hijack threats and situations.

According to sources, the facilitation and movement of both Commonwealth Games athletes and delegates will be made through Terminal-II.

A separate vehicle parking zone will also be created at the airport. It would be covered under CISF security. A provision has been made for exclusive check-in counters for athletes.

Delhi Police are also acquiring a more secure network for communication - similar to what was used during the Beijing Olympics.

“Apart from our existing communication channels, we are acquiring a new and more upgraded network called tetra. It would replace all the obsolete and defunct equipment in the police command and control room,” said a high-ranked Delhi Police official.

The security agencies for the first time would also be acquiring portable under-vehicle surveillance system (PUVSS), designed to enhance surveillance capability by aiding users in scrutinising the undercarriages of all types of vehicles in seconds.

Apart from this, the agencies will also be depending largely on the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) being purchased from Israel. This four-layered system will be installed around the airport’s existing perimeter wall.

Excluding the Indian Air Force (IAF) area and the existing terminal buildings, the entire stretch of the perimeter wall covered by the PIDS will measure around 24 km.

India has approved state-of-the-art security for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at an estimated cost of Rs.370 crore (Rs. 3.7 billion) - a move that also aims to set a benchmark for all big events in future.

(Sahil Makkar can be contacted at sahil.m@ians.in)