Wide agenda for Army probe

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30. The practice of allowing tall grass to grow in ordnance depot compounds, the existing hazards in loading and off-loading ammunition trains in the dump area and the need for technical innovations to make storage safer are likely to be analysed by the Army's in-house inquiry into the Bharatpur fire, highly placed sources here said.

The fire in the Southern Command's key ammunition dump, which destroyed eight to 10,000 tonnes of ammunition, apparently spread quickly due to the presence of tall grass in the depot compound.

Sources in the Government here pointed out that Army regulations permitted the growth of grass around ammunition dumps, despite the knowledge that its presence could lead to a fire. Tall grass, it is assumed, can help conceal the dump. This camouflage is necessary for escaping enemy air raids during war time.

Analysts here, however, argue that with better technical and human means of surveillance and intelligence gathering available, it is now easier to predict air raids than in the past. Consequently, the existing regulation permitting the growth of grass revolving round the possibility of air raids needs to be reviewed.

The current practice of loading and unloading ammunition trains, for either bringing in supplies or for dispatching war material to operational areas, is also expected to receive considerable attention by the enquiry panel.

According to the existing drill, these trains should leave the storage area at the earliest as their prolonged presence could be hazardous. A fire in an ammunition dump, as in Bharatpur, could easily be compounded if a loaded explosives train, present in the area, also catches fire. The Suku committee is expected to look at ways to reduce the overload on vintage ammunition dumps. Sources pointed out that the load on the depot can become heavier on account of delays in clearing ``transit ammunition''. These explosives are temporality stored in a dump, before being shifted to the final destination. A lethargy in their transfer can strain infrastructure and lead to accidents.

One of the striking aspects of the incident is the presence of large quantities of vintage 3.5 inch rockets at the Bharatpur depot. The heat generated by the fire caused several rockets to explode. Sources here said that the soldiers handling the rockets were aware of their unpredictable behaviour even when atmospheric temperatures rise. Not surprisingly, the rockets are to be phased out of the Army soon and replaced with more modern ones. Reviewing the prioritisation of storing ammunition is also likely to be probed by the committee.

While the committee may look at the broader ramifications of the incident, it will pay maximum attention to whether sabotage caused the blaze.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Next     : Bharatpur blaze put out