The Central Government has initiated a multi-crore project of putting in place a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System for sealing the international borders against infiltration. This is being done with the help of imported cameras and smart fences. The work is likely to be completed by the end of next year.
This is a major step to plug the vulnerable gaps on both the Bangladesh and Pakistan frontiers to counter both terrorism and the problem of infiltration of refugees which India is facing. The sealing of segments of the borders has started at Dhubri in Assam along the India-Bangladesh border and also in Jammu along the frontier with Pakistan.
A ministry official said the project was aimed at checking the increasing incidents of infiltration along the international boundaries with the two neighbouring countries. The respective state governments have been requested by the Union Government to closely monitor the project.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has started sealing portions of the borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan with a “smart technology-aided fence”, said an official of the Union home ministry.
” Explaining the technology behind smart fencing, a BSF officer said it would be a mix of surveillance and warning system. Sitting in the control room located near their respective border posts, BSF personnel will maintain surveillance through a monitor. The state-of-the art imported gadgets will guard the borders and an alarm will be sounded when there is an infiltration attempt. This will alert the personnel and prompt action will be taken accordingly,” a BSF official said.
The need for technology-aided fencing is required, he said, considering that portions of the riverine border areas are vulnerable to infiltration. The BSF has identified nearly 2,050km along the two borders as vulnerable points that do not have fencing.
“The gadgets will be installed along these stretches and a common feed will be provided to the border outposts along the two frontiers. This would help personnel to watch the photos on a monitor and act swiftly in case there is something amiss,” the BSF officer said.
