BDDS, AS teams to be equipped with modern equipment worth ₹5.87 cr in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW: With an aim to enhance the security system, the state government will equip the U.P. Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and Anti-Sabotage (AS) check teams with modern bomb suits (explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suits) and de-armour disruptors worth ₹5.87 crore, confirmed senior home department officials here on Sunday.

The officials stated that the home department had issued two separate government orders dated September 13 and September 19, approving the budget for the purchase of as many as 11 modern bomb suits and five de-armour disruptors in the current financial year.

HT possesses copies of both government orders.

The first order, dated September 13, mentioned the purchase of six bomb suits for BDDS and AS check teams deployed in the security of VVIPs and important installations. It further stated that each bomb suit costs ₹42 lakh per unit, totaling ₹2.52 crore.

While the second order, dated September 19, mentioned the purchase of five bomb suits and five de-armour disruptors for five BDDS and 10 AS check teams handling security checks and any possible bomb threats at public places and crowded market areas in different districts and regions. The order stated that the budget for five bomb suits worth ₹2.10 crore and five de-armour disruptors worth ₹25 lakh per unit, totaling around ₹1.25 crore, has been approved.

A senior security official explained that a bomb suit, or blast suit, was known as an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suit. He said it was a heavy suit of body armor designed to withstand the pressure generated by a bomb and any fragments the bomb may produce. It is usually used by trained personnel while attempting bomb disposal. In contrast to ballistic body armor, which typically protects the user’s torso and head, a bomb suit protects all parts of the body, as the dangers posed by a bomb’s explosion could affect the entire body, he added.

He further said that the de-armour disruptor was another highly advanced robotic security tool designed to deter threats, inflict physical damage, harm, or cause death while handling explosives.