Small convoys, new SOPS: How Pulwama changed CRPF tactic
Fresh training, use of bulletproof bunkers, drones and CCTVS are among a few changes adopted to avoid a repeat of the attack
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Two years since Jaish-e-mohammed (JEM) suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar rammed an explosive-laden car into a bus transporting Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on the national highway in Pulwama, killing 40 men, a lot has changed in terms of convoy movement and the way troops secure their camps in the Kashmir valley.
Immediately after the deadly attack, which pushed India and Pakistan to the brink of war, the CRPF decided to overhaul its standard operating procedure (SOP) for convoys moving on the highways.
Instead of moving in large convoys, like the one on February 14, 2019 with 78 vehicles, it was decided that personnel will move in smaller contingents with a maximum of 40 vehicles. A Superintendent of Police rank officer started commandeering the convoys and troops were ordered to strictly adhere to the “passenger manifest discipline” for each vehicle in the convoy.
Fresh trainings, new SOPS, control of civilian traffic and use of bulletproof bunkers, drones and CCTVS; these are some of the strategic changes which the Central Reserve Police Force has made in these two years to avoid a repeat of the devastating 2019 Lethpora Pulwama attack, IG CRPF Deepak Ratan said on Sunday on the second anniversary of the attack.
CRPF inspector general Deepak Ratan said that the force had made many changes in these two years.“there has been a change in our SOP and our equipment have also improved,” he said. Training has been modified keeping mind the contingencies that can crop up in Jammu and Kashmir. “ll of them have been kept in mind so that whenever terrorists strike they will get a befitting response,” he said.
The IG said that the road opening parties (ROP) which would provide security to the highway have been given new training coupled with new SOPS.
“It was done to prevent and stop the incidents (like Pulwama), the way a civilian vehicle filled with explosives had struck our convoy causing heavy damages. That is why the traffic on road during convoy movement is controlled, convoy limit has also been contained,” he said.
“CCTVS have been installed at many points on the highway, drones are also being used. The movement of our vehicles generally takes places in bulletproof bunkers. Enough precautions as well as equipment have been installed to avoid such a type of incident,” he said.
Since the attack, the majority of vehicles used for convoy movements have been upgraded to withstand bullets and low-intensity improvised explosive devices (IEDS).
The ROPS (road opening parties), which are placed before the convoy moves on the highway, have been strengthened and trained for early warning mechanisms in identifying suspects who could attack the moving vehicles. Subsequently, there is better coordination between central intelligence agencies, Jammu and Kashmir police and the army on possible terror threats, people familiar with the developments said.
A major decision taken after the Pulwama attack was to restrict the movement of civilian vehicles on the highway when the convoys of security forces are on the move.
The government has also allowed all personnel to take a flight to Srinagar from either Jammu or Delhi; air courier service for the central paramilitary forces has been increased by adding flights from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu and back.
“We keep changing our strategy depending on the ground situation. The convoys are safe now,” CRPF spokesperson Moses Dhinakaran said. “Also, large numbers of terrorists have been neutralized in the last few years and there is constant watch on terror groups.”
Similarly, security at military and paramilitary camps in Jammu and Kashmir camps has been reinforced by all forces in the last two-three years. People familiar with the development said that since the 2016 Uri attack and the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019, the perimeter or outer cordon security at most camps in Kashmir has been doubled and most personnel have been equipped with the latest arms and ammunition and night vision devices.
The vehicles are now not allowed to park outside security forces’ camps and there is regular audit of personnel, vehicles, arms and ammunition and intelligence is shared in real time with all camps/headquarters and offices.
As the paramilitary force paid homage to the 40 troopers who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack, CRPF director general Dr A P Maheshwari said:“we have inherited bravery which flows like blood in our veins. While every gallant deed and sacrifice is the pride of the force, the force has a glorious history of scripting sagas of exemplary bravery”.
The CRPF said in a tweet that it didn’t forget and wouldn’t forget the sacrifice of the Pulwama martyrs. “Did not Forgive, will not Forget: Salute to our brothers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in #Pulwamaattack. Indebted, we stand with the families of our valiant Bravehearts,” the force said in a Twitter post.
NEW DELHI: A few days ago, farming and fishing communities in Nigeria were allowed to sue the Dutch company, Shell, in England. Their livelihoods, health and the ecosystem have been ruined by repeated oil spills. They didn’t expect much from the Nigerian courts. This news took my mind to communities around the Indian Oil owned Bhagjan oil well.
On May 27th last year, following a leak, a terrifying blowout all but annihilated the area. Images of giant flames and intense smoke haunted India. The carcass of an endangered Gangetic Dolphin floated, skin peeled off. Thousands of locals fled, assets lost. Next door, two of the world’s most precious biodiversity hotspots reeled.
The Dibru-saikhowa biosphere reserve, home to birds found nowhere else, and Manguri Bheel, a unique wetland. Oil even reached the Lohit River. Compensation is in place, but one might ask if a one-time payment adequate. Is compensation a holistic, fair way to handle this blot on the planet?
I think not. Indian Oil must obviously pay significant cash compensation to displaced communities. It must invest in impactful local livelihoods and education. Clean-ups are imperfect, but they must start.
That’s not enough. Indian Oil must pay for unprotected land in a similar ecosystem in Assam, and nurture it with intense external monitoring. Our government should set in place a technically able team to monitor environmental and occupational safety in the extraction and manufacturing sector per se, reporting back to Parliament. Companies should deposit compensatory funds before they work. Nothing less is acceptable.