Scores of shrines under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management, including the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, are opening up to devotees. This has led to security sleuths facing twin challenges. While getting too close makes them vulnerable to COVID-19, keeping tabs from a safe distance without personal frisking may expose chinks in the security apparatus. Frisking is avoided and checking is mainly done through Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD) and Hand Held Metal Detectors (HHMD). As the COVID-19 situation posed a new challenge, the department found an opportunity to aggressively deploy its bomb disposal teams to minimise man-to-man interface.

Source: The Hindu June 09, 2020 10:00 UTC