Journalism of Courage
When a NOIDA-based company begins mass manufacturing improvised explosive device (IED) detection kits later this year for the police and paramilitary forces it would be the logical end to a story that began in Pune about a decade ago. Since 2000,three different types of explosive detecton kits have been designed at the city-based High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) which have sales potential in the national and international markets because of heightened security concerns.
This week,the Defence Research and Development Organisation signed an agreement with a private company in NOIDA to mass manufacture the explosive detection kits created by HEMRL.
The first explosive detection kit made by HEMRL allowed the user to identify any explosive with the help of chemicals present in the kit; the change in colour of the substance would indicate a particular explosive. After the initial kit was made,we got feedback from the police that they would like us to device a spray which would work in a similar manner. With the spray,there is no need for the user to physically collect the samples, said Reny Roy,one of the scientists who worked on the kit. Recently,the HEMRL developed a disposable palm-sized explosive detection kit,which scientists say is easier to carry around. All the three kits have been given to the company, Roy said.
This private-public partnership is an initiative promoted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the DRDO for certain upcoming technologies.
This kit would be very useful in pre and post disaster activities, said Nirankar Saxena,executive director for technology commercialisation,FICCI. Along with its use in public governance,he said,the industrial setup would also find this kit useful in prevention of disasters. The kit also had good export potential,he said.
