“This sanitizer is not going to be commercialized any time soon”, explained a senior DRDO officer

“The work is going on for making these specialized masks and the special material has been sourced from Atira, Ahmedabad,” he added.

“The DRDO life science laboratories have developed many remarkable technologies for the soldiers and have spin-off benefits. And these include Chemical Agent Detectors and Protective Suit Mk-V to provide protection to soldiers,” said a senior officer.

In other labs of DRDO, a universal type mask has been developed to offer protection against the accidental mine blasts where the soldiers may lose their eyes and suffer face injuries.

If the DRDO has been approached to make Hazmat Suits?

The answer is no.

“We are not making Hazmat suits, however, we are supporting other agencies with our expertise to make these special suits for those who are handling the coronavirus cases here in India. These are meant for the hospitals, the quarantine camps that have been set up by the Indian armed forces across the country,” the officer explained.

These are being made according to the standardized protocols specified by the National Centre of Disease Control’s (NCDC).

So What Is Special Protective Clothing?

These are for soldiers deployed in extreme cold weather and glacier regions, where temperature goes up to – 400 C has already been developed by Kanpur based Defence Materials and Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE).

According to the response given by the late defence minister Manohar Parrikar in the Parliament, DRDO lab has also created protective items for dealing with Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare. The expertise DRDO can be shared with other agencies including the Ordnance Factories to produce them when needed.

Sanitizer

The formulation created for the sanitizer is for limited production and has been sent to various government agencies including the Prime Minister’s Office, armed forces, Ministry of Defence, Ordnance Factory Board (all factories) as well as others.

“This sanitizer is not going to be commercialized any time soon”, explained a senior DRDO officer.

However, if required the formulation can be shared with making large quantities.