NHRC notice to defence ministry over ammunition stockpile

The NHRC has issued notice to the defence ministry over the safety risk posed to the general public due to army ammunition stockpiled in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance of a media report and directed the defence secretary to respond with a factual report in two weeks on the issue.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the human rights body said there was a risk of spontaneous combustion of thousands of unexploded and rejected bombs that were buried in and awaiting disposal at the Ordnance Factory at Khamaria in Jabalpur.

The factory is located in a densely populated area.

"The contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of right to life and right to health of the workers and local residents," The NHRC statement said.

According to the media report, Jabalpur city happens to be quake-prone and the danger can be huge given the reports of sporadic explosions in the said premises in the last few years, the statement added.