Rural police stations that constantly deal with the seizure of crude bombs and explosive materials in the district are short of facilities to keep the stock safe until it is handed over to the specialised Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS). Most of the police stations depend on the available space in their open compound or storage space made for other purposes.
Even in the Nadapuram police station limits, safe storage facility is lacking though the policemen there regularly comb the politically sensitive areas for crude bombs and explosives. The risk is higher when the policemen seize a huge cache and keep it in their compound waiting for the BDDS.
“Though a storage facility is yet to be set up, the timely arrival of the BDDS is a relief in most of the cases. After collecting samples, they take the stock to nearby quarries and dispose it of,” said M.P. Rajesh, Station House Officer of the Nadapuram police station. Currently, we have no stock on the station premises to be disposed of, he added.
Sayooj Kumar, Sub-Inspector, Kuttiyadi station, said the quick response of the BDDS from the Nadapuram police division was proving very helpful to handle such situations safely. Meanwhile, police officers from the Koyilandy station said they recently came across an incident where the policemen had to wait long for the disposal of a huge cache of gunpowder. As there was no proper storage facility, it was kept near the police mess for long hours, they said.
A senior police officer from the station said the situation really troubled them as the area used for temporarily keeping the stock was closer to a residential location. “Though the BDDS is active, it would be better to have some safer facility in stations to temporarily handle the seized explosives,” he added.
