The Pune headquartered Southern Command of the Army, in the recent past, undertook an operation called ‘Visphotak Mukt Bandargah’ (Explosive-free ports), under which 1,600 metric tonnes of unexploded ordnance collected over the years from industrial units in Mumbai, Gujarat, Kanpur, Jaipur and Jodhpur were disposed off safety by a specialised team in phased manner.
Officials from the Southern Command said that a special Bomb Disposal Team from the Central Ammunition Depot based at Pulgaon was deputed by the Army and dispatched to multiple locations for survey, segregation and disposal of unexploded ordnance at these places.
The explosives were carried by the Army special team to safe locations outside the respective city limits and disposed off safely in a phased manner.
The explosives were carried by the Army special team to safe locations outside the respective city limits and disposed off safely in a phased manner. In Mumbai alone, over eight lakh kilograms of Unidentified Explosive Object (UXO) with a total explosive content of over two thousand kilograms of RDX or TNT was safely destroyed by the bomb disposal team over a period of time recently, officials said.
A special Bomb Disposal Team from the Central Ammunition Depot based at Pulgaon was deputed by the Army and dispatched to multiple locations for survey, segregation and disposal of unexploded ordnance at these places.
A press statement from the Southern Command said, “To ensure a safe and secure environment in civil society, Southern Command, Pune undertook operation ‘Visphotak Mukt Bandargah’ under the aegis of ‘Aid to civil authorities.’ The Indian Army launched the Operation on directions of the Ministry of Defence to ensure a safe environment for all citizens settled in and around the identified locations.”
The release added, “The operation is yet another example of excellent joint coordination and cooperation that exists between civil administration and the Army in the Southern Command. A similar operation was conducted in March 2021 by Southern Command at Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu where unexploded ordnance was safely disposed thus ensuring a safe environment for all citizens in and around Gummidepoondi, 43 kilometers from Chennai. Explosive experts of the Army, despite the challenges and dangers in such situations, execute these tasks with motivation and determination. During the disposal at both Mumbai and Thiruvallur, the primary focus was given to the safety of people and their property while destroying these objects.”
