A team of 12 military personnel from Pune, including a bomb disposal squad, arrived in Navi Mumbai on Friday to dispose of 140 mortar shells. The shells were being safeguarded at an isolated room at Mosare village in Panvel taluka for the past 13 years.
In 2004, 24 containers full of metal scrap from Iraq arrived in India. On September 30, 10 people died in an explosion at Bhushan Steel Company in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh after the imported scrap caught fire.
In October that year, around 200 kg of the imported scrap reached Kalamboli steel market. Last year, a court in Alibaug issued an order to destroy the shells at the earliest.
Security measures taken
Rajendra Mane, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II), said: “All necessary paper work had been done in the past. For 13 years, two constables have been keeping watch over the mortar shells.
“Now, we have taken the disposal of these shells on a priority basis. We have started the procedure of destroying the shells by taking all necessary security measures.”
Prakash Nilewad, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Panvel division), said. “The scraps are being safeguarded in a room at the foot of a mountain in Mosare village and it is located 2 km away from residential areas. Around 20 shells were destroyed on Friday.
Mr. Nilewad added, “However, owing to unexpeted rains, the military could not continue the procedure. The target is to destroy all of the mortar by October 12. The military team is blasting the shells and keeping us informed about the number of shells being destroyed.”
