The training was provided in view of the possibility of armed outfits and criminal elements planting bombs and mines during the upcoming CA polls.
As part of the security preparation for the CA polls, EOD troops are now centered at regional level, and NA has prepared to deploy at least one soldier who is expert on EOD and IED at each election constituency. [break]
"All election constituencies will be provided with at least an expert depending upon the situation and on need basis. We will deploy additional experts who will be kept standby at battalion and company level," Brigadier General Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, Spokesperson of NA, informed.
At present there are six Combat Divisions, one in each of the five development regions and one in the Kathmandu Valley. Each Combat Division contains Combat Brigades, Combat Support units and Combat Service Support units. Each Combat Division or Brigade that is responsible for a particular area will consists of an airborne support along with an EOD unit as well, according to Colonel Rabindra Khatri.
Though the task of disposing improvised mines or bombs is extremely dangerous, we are prepared to deal with critical situations as we have all the necessary equipment and training, army officials said.
Due to the insurgency that lasted for more than 10 years, NA has become less competent and chronically under-funded in the field of disposal of explosives and had very few experts. But currently we are in the best position in the field among the South Asian countries as we have got support from different countries, mainly British Army, Brig Gen Pokharel said.
As the bomb disposal officers are responsible for safely removing explosives to ensure safety of civilian, they have to face several other challenges.
An army officer with expertise in ordnance disposal said, "If people are aware about the explosives and cooperate with the security units, the challenge is half solved.
Even though UN declared Nepal as free of landmines, people have been hurt because of the blasts related to mines.
Unexploded bombs and mines left on a battlefield have been almost cleared. This time we are focusing on possible threats arising from improvised bombs like pressure cooker bomb, string bomb, bucket bombs, pipe socket bombs, spokesperson of NA informed.
Bomb disposal officers have to work in a variety of environments, usually in areas populated with civilians at any hour of the day.
So crowd is also one of the challenges for the disposal unit. On the other hand, prompt information and quick transportation are other two major requirements for the security units to minimize the threats and fear.
"In case of hill and remote areas, it may take longer time to reach the spot. But prompt communication among the related stakeholders will definitely minimize the risks," Colonel Khatri informed.
During the mass rallies and other major election campaigns, where there will be presence of VIPs and VVIPs, sniffing dogs will be used to find out the explosives.
Meanwhile, joint trainings with other security agencies are also taking place in different regions of the country in the presence of experts, NA spokesperson said.
Similarly, a team of Nepal Police was also trained in disposing bombs recently in India.
According to Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Nawa Raj Silwal, commandos of special task force will be deployed and NA´s support will be sought when needed.
At present the only disposal van of Nepal Police is not in proper condition but officials said it would be repaired before the elections, he said.
Brigadier General Dipak Kumar Gurung
Former NA Spokesperson
How do you evaluate current situation of explosives disposal unit of NA?
During and after the conflict situation, NA has had several experiences in tackling explosives. NA personnel have been participating in different national and international trainings.
Because of its active participation, NA is not only ready to deal with internal challenges but is also in high demand for UN peace keeping missions all over the world. But it needs catch up with changes in technology.
How can NA prepare itself to tackle the threats during elections?
Planting improvised bombs during the upcoming CA polls to terrorizing voters might be a problem. But with the support of voters, political parties and local authorities, the problem can be taken care of. Still, NA, technicians and a team of engineers must be in a standby position at all times.
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