New Delhi: With PAVA shells not meeting the expectations of the security forces in tackling the violent mobs in Jammu and Kashmir, the agencies have prepared a new list of gadgets, to be procured to quell the protesters effectively such as bunker periscopes, ear-deafening acoustic devices and electro-magnetic shock-delivering sticks.

Officials said the list has been prepared following a series of high-level meetings and approvals of various agencies such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), J&K Police, central security agencies and the Union Home Ministry.

The most powerful but non-lethal device the forces desire to procure is the Long Range Acoustic Device (LARD) which produces an irritating, terrible and deafening 140-decibel sound to keep protesters away from its ‘screaming’ range.

An LARD immobilises the target immediately and the state of shock remains for some time, thereby providing an opportunity to the forces to nab it.

Keeping in mind the situation in the Kashmir Valley where protesters hurl bricks and shrapnels from narrow lanes and by-lanes, the security agencies wish to procure a ‘tactical periscope’ which stealthily monitors the “activities of unruly mobs” by jutting out of a bunker or from behind a wall, without exposing the location of the forces.

Another device on the list is a ‘shock shield stick’ which delivers a “high-voltage, non-lethal but effective electrostatic shock conduction” to the target which, in this case, are protesting mobs.

The stick, when triggered, spews visible shock sparks (to act as an additional deterrent) and temporarily paralyses the target, but does not result in a permanent neuro-muscular incapacitation.

“The specifications have been finalised and circulated.

The forces want to procure these items as soon as possible,” a senior official said, quoting the qualitative requirements, which PTI has access to.

A set of ‘disposable handcuffs’, made of nylon, as compared to the regular ones made of iron, is also on the list of the security forces.

These devices have been finalised after studying the recommendations of a special committee, constituted by the Union Home Ministry, to suggest alternatives to pellet guns.

The Centre is mulling to reconfigure the PAVA shells, recently introduced in Kashmir for crowd control as an alternative to pellet guns, as these proved to be “less effective” due to a number of anomalies.

The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the CRPF, have come up with an on-ground assessment report, saying the ‘chilli-based’ shells were not able to “fully deter” the protesting mobs, sources had said.

PAVA was introduced following the recommendations of the panel constituted by the Union Home Ministry to find an alternative to pellet guns for crowd control, following an uproar in Kashmir after the usage of the latter led to fatalities.

PTI