Highly placed sources in the security establishment told this reporter that in view of the situation in Kashmir, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, where jihadi activities have intensified, the Delhi police force has been asked to prepare itself for future eventualities. New Delhi, due to its status as the national capital and its porous borders with other states, has become the first choice for carrying out terror attacks.
In the last one month, the Delhi police has floated multiple tenders seeking purchase of equipment that are used to detect and defuse bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
According to official sources, Delhi police is buying at least 25 telescopic manipulators that provide improved ability to bomb disposal technicians to maximise their standoff distance (remote handling capabilities) when working in close proximity to a suspect package or IED. The police is also going to buy 25 “hook and line” machines that are used to move suspected devices or gain access into vehicles and buildings using a pulling line and specially designed tools.
Apart from that, the Delhi police is also going to buy bomb baskets which are designed to protect property and personnel from the blast and fragmentation occurring when an IED is set off, bomb blankets and bomb suits that will be used by its personnel while deffusing bombs that have already been planted.
“The threat of bomb attacks in the national capital is always looming but now it has increased manifold because of various internal and external factors and we are always upgrading ourselves to meet new challenges. We are also buying more deep search metal detectors and explosive detectors to detect IEDs that the terrorists might plant on roads or the buildings. There was a severe shortage of such equipment and rather than wait for something to happen and then purchase them, we have taken a proactive approach,” said a senior official familiar with the development.
According to him, Delhi police is also purchasing blasting machines, remote car opening kits, remotely operated vehicles that are very vital in defusing bombs in public places like markets and parking lots.
Orders for the purchase of electronic stethoscope and non-linear junction detector (NLJD), which are used by officials employed in the personal security of VIPs and are used to detect electronic circuits that are used by terrorists to activate bombs through mobile phones and other digital devices, have also been given by Delhi police.