Sources told DNA that there are problems in the primary device Explosive Vapour Detector (EVD)
On Dec 30, 2016, around 6.45 pm, an unattended bag at Barakhamba Metro station sparked a scare. Alerted by commuters, when the Central Industrial Security Force's (CISF) bomb squad arrived at the spot, the bag was tested positive for explosives, leading to panic among the Force.
Within minutes, the entire area was cordoned off. However, during a final check, a three-year-old Labrador of the force's dog squad, declared the bag clean. Puzzled, the bomb squad opened the bag and recovered clothes and books from it.
In more than a dozen such cases reported last year, CISF has been fooled a number of times by the gadgets their bomb squad is equipped with. Fearing that this uncertainty may lead to a bigger disaster and loss of lives, senior officers say the CISF has written to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to provide them with better and advanced equipment, more than once, but nothing has been done so far.
"Every other day, the CISF at Delhi Metro deals with suspicious unattended baggage with bomb threat and terror attack call every fifth day, at an average. The footfall is so high that we need to be extra vigilant," said a senior CISF officer.
Sources told DNA that there are problems in the primary device Explosive Vapour Detector (EVD). EVD has been used by the CISF to check if further precautions need to follow. "In most of the cases, EVD of Pilot M1 make has proved to be unreliable.
In many cases it has either given positive results leading to an utter chaos or did not work at the last moment. This can be dangerous when we have to face a real explosive sometime," the officer added. Sources also informed that the advanced versions of EVDs are more expensive than the ones being used at present. With a significant increase in the number of threats, CISF has told DMRC much improved and advanced equipment to tackle such operations.
"In a meeting with the DMRC in June last year, the matter was raised and has also been discussed in a recent meeting this year," a senior official said.
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