Blanket security cover in place all over TN

Chennai, Aug 14: A thick security blanket has been thrown around all important landmarks in Tamil Nadu, including the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam in the wake of nation-wide alert on possible terror attacks on the occasion of 60th Independence Day celebrations.

Besides the IGCAR, security has been stepped up in historic temples, Ennore and Tuticorin ports, coastal areas, vital Railway installations, Airports, shoppng malls in important cities, Stanlay Mettur reservoir across river Cauvery and other dams in the state, police sources said.

More than one lakh police personnel, including Tamil Nadu Special Police Commando force, Rapid Action Force and Swift Action Group were posed at vantage points as part of additional security cover all over Tamil Nadu. In Chennai 5,000 policemen, including 1000 personnel were posted at Fort St George, which among other government departments, houses the state secretariat.

While the entry of visitors to all the airports had already been banned from July 13, security personnel were closely watching the movments of all incoming and outgoing air passengers. The luggage was being loaded in the aircrafts only after carrying out full-proof check with metal detectors.

The Central Industrial Security Force, (CISF), manning the airports, Coast Guard and others entrusted with coastal security are on highest alert round-the-clock.

Heightened security measures have been made in all the prime reservoirs, including Mettur reservoir, where personnel from the bomb detection and disposal squad carried out anti-sabotage checks besides important temples like Sri Kapaleeswhwarar Temple, Sri Murugan temple, Sri Parthasarathy temple, in the city, Sri Ranganathaswamy, Jambukeswarar Akhilandeswari and Rockfort temples in Tiruchirapalli, Brihadeshwara (Big) temple in Thanjavur, Sri Meenakshi Sundareswhwarar temple at Madurai, Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram, Subramaniyaswamy temple, Tiruchendur, Arunaqchaleshwarar temple at Tiruvannamali and other places of worship, police added.

The devotees were frisked before being allowed allowed to enter the temples, the sources added.

Security has been beefed up at all places of tourist importance, particularly Mammallapuram and ancients monuments. Extra protection was being provided to visiting tourists, sources added. A red alert has been sounded in the coastal districts of Ramanthapuram, Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kanniyakumari and other places in view of the fierce battle between the LTTE tigers and the Sri Lankan armed forces in Tamil-dominated Jaffna peninsula, the sources said adding that sea patrolling has been intensified by the naval and coast guard personnel.

The Army, which had suo motu taken control of the security in and around the Kalpakkam Atomic power complex under the provisions of National Security Act, did not want to take any chances following the terror threat. In fact, the Army was planning to impose curfew from 1800 hrs to 0600 hrs around the Kalpakkam complex and in areas falling within the eight km radius of the nuclear power plant.

Apart from the routine security drill by CISF and local police personnel, the army is likely to keep anti-aircraft artillery in readiness at Kalpakkam and some other strategic points around the nuclear power plant following the Central Intelligence agencies red alert on possible air strikes by terrorists.

The police have asked fishermen living near the coast between Injambakkam and Kadapakkam in Kancheepuram district not to venture into the sea till further orders from the authorities.

Southern Railway sources said Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police have taken under control all important railway stations and parcel booking offices in the entire Southern Railway network to prevent any untoward incident.

The passengers were beeing allowed inside the railway stations as well the trains only after full screening of their baggages. All incoming and outgoing trains were being constantly watched and armed escorts were provided in all the prestigious trains.

Additional security measures were put in place at all vital installations of the railway network, rail over bridges and rail bridges across rivers besides intensifying track patrolling.

Special control rooms were set up to monitor close circuit cameras installed at important railway stations like Chennai Central, the sources said, adding that instructions were given to authorities of the parcel booking offices to take extra precaution while booking and handing over the parcels.

A report from Madurai said elaborate security arrangements have been made in the temple city and in the other southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The famous Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple and other important places of worship, the city airport and other vital installations, including the railway station have been provided enhanced security cover.

City Deputy Commissioner (Law&Order) N Arivuselvam told UNI that a sensitisation programme involving Chamber of Commerce, various industries and traders associations of Shopping Malls and markets had been conducted in the city.

Metal detector door frames were installed at all the five entry points and armed guards posted around the Meenakshi temple.

The security at the temple was beefed up since the terrorist threat in July end, which turned out to be a hoax, he said.

Nearly 650 police personnel besides adequate Armed Reserve and Special Police Force had been deployed, he added.

Madurai Police Superintendent T S Anbu said the security had been tightened at the city airport where a special company of the Tamil Nadu Special Police was posted.

UNI