Non-lethal pepper balls prescribed for crowd control in JK
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir police is set to get non-lethal pepper-ball launching systems and anti-riot gas masks to deal with law and order situations in the state, officials said.
The department has floated tenders for seeking technical bid from manufacturers and dealers of these two products, they said.
A pepper-ball launching system, also called a pepper-spray ball projectile, is a frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose, like the pepper spray.
These non-lethal projectiles are fired from specially designed ‘forced compliance weapons’ or modified paintball guns.
The anti-riot gas mask is used to protect the user from inhaling airborne pollutants, toxic gases and pepper spray during riots and other law and order situations.
The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and the mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues on the face.
Notably, police and other security agencies have been using the pellet guns to deal with law and order problems in the state, especially the Kashmir valley.
The use of these guns has left thousands blinded and even some cases led to death of several persons as the security forces continue to ‘abuse’ the use of this weapon. The government too has been facing music from various rights bodies who have been seeking a complete ban on the use of these lethal weapons. (with PTI inputs)
KV Network
