Delhi Police orders over 30,000 more tear gas shells; high security near border points continues

“We have enough in our stockpile, but anticipating the nature of the protest and the number of people involved, we have ordered more from the BSF unit in Gwalior,” said another police officer, requesting anonymity.

The “anti-riot equipment” is used by personnel of the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces — both guarding Delhi’s Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders at present — to disperse protesters, and maintain the law-and-order situation in the city.

The stock of the tear gas shells will be distributed mainly to the East Delhi, Outer, and Outer North Delhi district police. “The last order for tear gas shells was made before the G20 summit… Another order, to this effect, has been made now through the Delhi Police headquarters in view of the farmers’ protest,” said another top police officer.

Apart from heavy concrete boulders, dozens of barricades, and barbed wires at the border points, the Delhi Police has also been using long-range acoustic devices on top of their trucks in a bid to produce a loud sound and disperse the protesting farmers. According to officers, the existing companies of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel were maintained at the border points on Thursday to ensure a tightened security.

The traffic, meanwhile, continued to crawl near the border points sealed by police, with traffic congestion being reported from the Singhu border towards Delhi. “Barricading was in place on the highway leading out of the border points, with pickets being set up…,” said a traffic police officer.

Thousands of farmers from across Punjab began moving towards Delhi on Tuesday, as part of their ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest over several demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for their crops. Security has since been ramped up in Haryana as the farmers look to cross Shambhu border and enter the state, en route to Delhi.