By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, April 9:
On the occasion of the 247th Raising of the Army Ordnance Corps, Central Ammunition Depot (CAD), located at Pulgaon in Wardha district in Maharashtra, disposed of the final batch of unexploded ordnance (UXO)/ Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), recovered from ports across India, under Operation Visphotak Mukt Bandargah (explosive free ports), on Friday.
As part of the operation, the teams were sent to various ports for neutralization and shifting of these unused explosives back to CAD Pulgaon for safe demolition. The task which began in February 2021, ended on Friday on the occasion of 247th Cops day of Army Ordnance Corps, official sources said. Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) is a military area and the second-largest ammunition depot in Asia.
The 247th Raising of the Army Ordnance Corps culminated in the disposal phase of the sensitive operation of neutralization and demolition of over 1700 Metric Tonnes of dangerous Unexploded Ordnance and Explosive Remnants of War lying across various ports in the country.
The ERW consists of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO), but not mine. Unexploded ordnance, weapons that fail to detonate as intended become unexploded ordnance (UXO). Some examples of UXO are bombs, rockets, grenades, artillery shells, flares, mortars, and hazardous residues that may remain after a partial or failed detonation.
UXOs are explosive ordnance that has been fused, armed, or otherwise prepared for use. They may have been fired, dropped, launched, or projected yet remain unexplored, usually through malfunction.
It is estimated that between 10-30% of ordnance does not explode on impact. UXOs are usually made of metal, but can also be made of plastic/composite material. If they have been in the open for a long time, they may be rusted and discoloured, partially hidden, obscured by dirt and mud, and difficult to recognize. Despite looking harmless, they remain extremely dangerous unless removed by qualified personnel.
Army Ordnance Corps came into existence with the establishment of the ‘Board of Ordnance’ on April 08, 1775. The Corps is entrusted with the onerous task of managing a large and complex inventory and providing logistic support to the Army.
