J-K police to get pepper ball launching guns, ROVs

The Jammu and Kashmir police will procure pepper ball launching guns (PBLGs) and remotely operated vehicles (RoVs) to deal with the law and order situation in Kashmir Valley, an official said.

The state police recently floated tenders for purchasing 50 PBLGs and two RoVs with water jet disruptors and weapon mounts for their use in security situation.

"Tenders have been invited from manufacturers or their authorised dealers for the supply of pepper ball launchers and remotely operated vehicles," Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Mubassir Latifi said.

According to the specification, the PBLGs must be capable of launching pepper-filled projectile at a particular distance to do room intervention, mob dispersal and must be less lethal in nature.

The pepper ball launching guns should also have PAVA rounds along with hopper magazines, High Pressure Air (HPA) cylinders and under barrel source of power, it said.

These must be .68 caliber launchers and powered by high pressure of air at the rate of 3,000 psi with the ability to fire six pepper balls per second.

PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide, also called Nonivamide. It is an organic compound found in natural chilli pepper.

On the Scoville scale (measures pungency of peppers and chillies), PAVA is categorised as 'above peak', meaning it will 'severely irritate and paralyse' humans, but the irritation and paralysis will remain 'temporary' in nature.

According to the specification of RoVs, they must be cable of carrying out Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EoD) surveillance inside aircraft, trains, buildings, installations and bus stands, the official added.