The new tear gas shells will be made at the Tear Smoke Unit of the Border Security Force at the Tekanpur, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in collaboration with India’s premier defense research organisation, Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
According to the DRDO, the tear gas will be made in two forms, shell form and spray can. The chilli ingredient for these new teargas will come from north-eastern states and Andhra Pradesh.
Indian security forces have been using PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide) tear gas shells after many stone-pelters and protesters were blinded by the use of pellet guns in the Jammu and Kashmir.
“Government is planning to introduce the capsicum-based tear gas shell as there have been complaints about the PAVA tear gas shells. The fact is that these tear gas shells are not effective. But the main point is that the efficacy of these new capsicum-based tear gas shells is yet to be tested. It is likely to be used in a few months on a trial basis and if found useful, then it will be used on a regular basis,” Major General G D Bakshi (Retd.) told Sputnik.
