CAD Pulgaon had won award for using solar energy to dispose ammunition

New Delhi, May 31: It was a tragic incident at the Central Ammunition depot of the Army in Pulgaon, Maharashtra in which 17 persons have been reported killed after a fire had broken out. The fire is said to have started at a near by shed and this led to the incident.

Tragedy struck the CAD just a month after it had won an excellence award earlier this month. The CAD of the Army had devised a method of utilising solar energy to dispose ammunition that had completed their shell life.

The CAD had won CST and solar cooker excellence awards 2016 on April 29. the CAD had devised a method which used steam generated by concentrated solar technology (CST). This technology would melt explosive material inside shells of munitions with calibres ranging from 40 mm to 130 mm.

After receiving the award, Brigadier Sanjay Sethi had explained that in CST, the mirrors were used to concentrate solar energy to convert water to steam which in turn is directed into the shells. Incidentally this was a first of its kind innovation.

The idea behind this innovation was a unique one. Normally explosives that have completed their shell life are disposed off in open grounds using demolition explosives. There are several dangers that are attached to such a process which include blinding, partial blinding apart from being probe to other accidents.

Using the CST was a safe method with no dangers at all.

OneIndia News