Article Posted on : - Jul 11, 2010

A File Photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a Rs 285 crore Defence Ministry project for developing systems and equipment for protection against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons and leakages.

"Under the project for NBC defence, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has been tasked to develop quick and fast detection systems in case of an NBC attack on our vital installations and cities or leakage in any of the installations dealing with these materials," Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

"In case on any attack or leakages, such detection systems will help in finding the exact sources of contamination and the authorities concerned would be able to react in a much more effective manner," they added.

The DRDO is also working on developing and increasing the number of systems for providing individual protection for soldiers in NBC environment.

Sources said to protect human beings from getting exposed to NBC radiation, "Unmanned Ground Vehicles and robots are also being developed to go to the contaminated zones. We are also looking at the medical management in times of such incidents."

Inflatable structures are also being developed in which people can take shelter during any such incident, they added.

Till now, the focus was on building underground shelters while preparing for such eventualities.

The project got the CCS nod in a recently held meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and work on developing the systems has already started as different labs have already been told about the systems to be developed.

With the increasing threat of use of NBC weapons by state and non-state actors, Indian armed forces have been preparing themselves by deploying protection suites for their personnel.