J&K Police to procure anti-riot gas masks to protect J&K Police from tear gas, pepper gas, chilli grenades

Srinagar: Continuing its efforts to lace its men with high-tech gadgets, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is all set to procure Anti-Riot Gas Masks (ARGMs) to protect its personnel on the ground from the toxic material produced by tear gas and other gases used for controlling crowds, Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

The J&K Police headquarters in Jammu has floated tenders for the supply of ARGMs from authorized manufacturers. “The tenders (technical bids) will be opened online on December 4 at Police Headquarters Jammu,” read the e-tender.

Quoting a senior police officer, KNO reported that police is doing its level best to procure all important and latest gadgets to make the force “one of the best in the world”.

“ARGM will help policemen to remain safe from the toxic material that is produced after the use of tear gas, pepper gas, chilli grenades as means to deal with the crowds,” he said, wishing not to be named.

He said that a gas mask is used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. “The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face,” the official privy to the bidding process said, adding that, “Most gas masks are also respirators, though the word ‘gas mas’ is often used to refer to military equipment (such as a field protective mask).”

The police official said that the gas mask only protects the user from digesting, inhaling and contact through the eyes (many agents affect through eye contact). “Most combined gas mask filters will last around 8-hours in a nuclear biological chemical (NBC) situation. Chemical specific filters can last up to 20 hours in an NBC situation,” he explained.

“The first gas masks mostly used circular lenses made either of glass, mica or cellulose acetate. With the exception of the latter, these materials were quite brittle and needed frequent replacement.”

The fresh tender comes after 14 days of the previous one wherein J&K Police had floated tenders for mounting its Bullet Proof Mobile Vehicles (BPMV) with Mobile Command Centers (MCCs) to boost its technical capability. KNO