New Delhi: Indian Army chief Gen. MM Naravane seemed to have a new addition in his decorated uniform when he visited Tezpur in Assam on Thursday.
But it turned out to be a personal protection device, rather than a government badge.
It’s a brand of air sanitiser manufactured by US-based company EcoShield, ThePrint reported. The company claims that the clip-on pouch can provide protection against airborne infectious pathogens by disinfecting the air in a three-foot radius around a person.
The pouch, which costs around Rs 1,500, is based on Japanese technology and releases chlorine dioxide gas over a period of 30 days after activation.
Japanese company Kiyou Jochugiku also manufactures similar pouches and launched the product for sale in India in June.
Besides being a bleaching agent in paper industries, chlorine dioxide is used as disinfectant in hospital settings and also as a biocide in swimming pools.
The companies claim that the air-purifier pouches offer protection against airborne diseases like influenza, cold and flu, allergy, H1N1, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other respiratory infections.
However, neither company has claimed that it can help prevent COVID-19.
