The Jammu and Kashmir police will procure pepper ball launching guns (PBLGs) and remotely operated vehicles (RoVs) to deal with the law and order situation in Kashmir, an official said.
The state police recently floated tenders for purchasing 50PBLGs and two RoVs with water jet disruptors and weapon mounts for their use insecurity situation.
“Tenders have been invited from manufacturers or theirauthorised dealers for the supply of pepper ball launchers and
remotely operated vehicles,” Assistant InspectorGeneral (AIG) of Police, Mubassir Latifi said.
According to the specification, the PBLGs must be capable oflaunching pepper-filled projectile at a particular distance to do roomintervention, mob dispersal and must be less lethal in nature.
The pepper ball launching guns should also have PAVA roundsalong with hopper magazines, High Pressure Air (HPA)cylinders and under barrelsource of power, it said.
These must be .68 caliber launchers and powered by highpressure of air at the rate of 3,000 psi with the ability to fire six pepperballs per second.
PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide, also calledNonivamide. It is an organic compound found in natural chilli pepper.
On the Scoville scale (measures pungency of peppers andchillies), PAVA is categorised as “above peak”, meaning it will”severely irritate and paralyse” humans, but the irritation andparalysis will remain “temporary” in nature. According to the specification of RoVs, theymust be cable of carrying out Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EoD) surveillance inside aircraft, trains,buildings, installations and bus stands, the official added.