Indian security forces plan to replace explosives with chillies

India's security forces are planning to mix one of the world's hottest chilli powders in hand grenades to control riots and battle insurgents.

Defence scientists said they will replace explosives in small grenades with a certain variety of red chilli to immobilise a person without killing him.

"We are working on a project on how to use the hottest chilli in different applications in defence forces," said RB Srivastava, a scientist at the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation.



The chilli found in the country's north east generates so much heat it was enough to startle a person for a while when used as a weapon, researchers said.

The bhut jolokia chilli is said to generate 1,000,000 heat units on the Scoville scale - a measure of hotness. It is at least a thousand times more than a common kitchen chilli.

The bhut jolokia will also be used as a food supplement for soldiers deployed in cold weather conditions to raise their body temperatures, Mr Srivastava said. Scientists are hoping to use a coat of the chilli powder in fences around army barracks too, as its pungent smell keeps wild animals away.