How Srinagar's airport security failed me...

Srinagar Airport (Source)

Of all the airports I have visited across the world, Srinagar airport certainly takes the cake when it comes to the amount to security and checking that one has to go through. All of this is, of course, justified considering it would certainly be pretty high up on the target list for any organisation planning to create shock and terror there!

There are essentially 4 different levels of security:

Level 1: As you enter the airport, just a little ahead from the gate, you have to get down from you car with the bags and get them all scanned. This is certainly not there in any other airport that I have visited. While you and your luggage is getting scanned, the car also gets checked thoroughly outside. 

Level 2: Once you are done with Level 1, you get back inside your car and drive ahead about another half a kilometre and reach the main departure terminal. This is where you show your tickets and enter the airport building. This is the level 2 of security and is pretty common with other airports which insist on scanning your check-in baggage. So you get your bags scanned and tagged.

Level 3: This is right after the security-check where there is heavy deployment of security personnel who open many of the bags after the scan, especially ones with food or digital equipments (big cameras etc). I had my entire bag opened and laid down on the table. The security guy was really nice though and was rather disappointed when I told him that I was not from Kashmir :)

Level 4: After you are done with all scanning and get your boarding pass stamped, the last bit of checking takes place right before you board your aircraft. Basically all your hand-baggage is opened and scanned visually or with a metal detector just before you board the aircraft. However, I didn’t see this happening for all flights.

Since this was my first time ever at the Srinagar airport, the checking didn’t bother me at all and I was actually very curious to see all the procedures being followed and the meticulousness of the process.

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It was only after I reached back home and opened my bags that I realised that there was a 'lighter' in the side pocket of my backpack! The lighter was full to the brim with inflammable material and I had basically forgotten it there after using it in Pune. It had survived through the security systems of three different airports - Pune, New Delhi and Srinagar. This makes me realize, once again, that all systems, no matter how efficient they might appear to be, are never perfect!

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Request you to please share this story ahead and make someone responsible take a note of this! Let us help our country become even more secure.

-- Siddhartha Joshi