The local city police has conveyed to the Delhi High Court that in order to meet any emergency situation concerning Bomb threats, it would be feasible to form a smaller units from their existing one consisting of five Bomb Disposal Squads (BDS) and subsequently 18 Bomb Detection Teams can also be formed to meet any such requirements.
The Delhi Police mentioned that there are 23 BDS/BDT units of the Central Armed Police Forces stationed in the national capital, available for deployment upon approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The police also mentioned that five batches of BDS/BDT, each comprising fifteen personnel, are scheduled for training for this purpose. This information was part of an additional affidavit filed in response to a 2023 petition by lawyer Arpit Bhargava, prompted by a hoax bomb threat at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road.
“There are 18 Bomb Detection Teams working in Delhi Police located at base stations with the objective of minimizing response time and to ensure coverage of the geographical area of the concerned District.
“There are five Bomb Disposal Squads presently working in Delhi Police located at base stations,” the police said in its latest report.
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“There are provisions to form smaller teams in case of emergency to meet the requirement of more BDS/BDT teams. During the G-20 Summit we have formed 33 teams using existing resources and staff of above mentioned teams and met our objective efficiently,” it said.
The affidavit response also noted that the BDS only gets into action after the concerned BDT has carried out its inspection and reports the suspicious nature of the spot in which an IED/explosives are suspected, after which the intervention of BDS is required. The affidavit added that the movement of a BDS is controlled by the district DCP where it is stationed. Upon request from the BDT, the district control room arranges for the nearest available BDS to respond to the call.
According to the Affidavit it was stressed that the staff should recieve periodic refresher courses in the wake of ever evolving technologyand to keep pace with the latest developments that are taking place with these technologies and scenarios.
An earlier report indicated that there is one Bomb Detection Squad (BDS) in each of the Central, East, New Delhi, and South ranges, covering 1,764, 1,032, 76, and 1,762 schools, respectively. There is also a dedicated squad for the railways and the metro unit range. The police mentioned that eighteen Bomb Detection Teams (BDTs) are stationed across fifteen districts, including IGI Airport, Railway Unit, and Metro Unit, reporting to their respective district or unit DCPs. From January 1, 2023, to May 6, 2024, a total of 120 mock drills were conducted in schools.
In 2021, a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Bomb Disposal Squads and Bomb Detection Teams was issued, providing guidance to nodal officers on responding to threat calls. The Directorate of Education, in its status report, reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on school safety and outlined measures taken to enforce disaster handling guidelines, including bomb threats. The DoE had issued multiple directives to institutions, including a circular dated April 16, outlining precautionary measures and the responsibilities of school authorities in the event of bomb threats.
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