New Delhi: Fencing and road construction along the 4,000 kilometre India-Bangladesh border will be completed by March 2024, according to the Union home ministry’s annual report for 2022-23.
One of the most porous international borders, it frequently witnesses illegal migration and infiltrators indulging in activities including human and drug trafficking.
“The total length of the Indo-Bangladesh border is 4,096.7 km, out of which 3,180.653 km has been covered by physical fencing and remaining about 916.047 km will be covered by physical and non-physical barriers by March, 2024,” said the ministry’s annual report. “The non-physical barrier will comprise technological solutions. Sanction has also been accorded to replace the old design fence with a new design fence. Similarly, in order to have better communication and operational mobility, 3,785.30 km of border roads have been constructed so far out of the sanctioned length of 4,223.04 km and the remaining is to be completed by March, 2024.”
The India-Bangladesh border runs along West Bengal (2,216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318 km).
On the 3,323 km Pakistan border, which runs along Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the report said, “Government has sanctioned 2,078.80 km of floodlights, out of which 2,043.76 km has been completed and remaining 35.04 km work is in progress. Further, to curb infiltration, smuggling from across the border, MHA (ministry of home affairs) has sanctioned 2,097.646 km fence, out of which 2,064.666 km has been completed while out of 736 sanctioned border outposts along the Indo-Pakistan border, construction of 675 BOPs has been completed and remaining to be completed by June, 2025.”
The Border Security Force, responsible for the Bangladesh and Pakistan borders, carried out a study based on the vulnerability, terrain conditions, crime pattern and peculiarity of the area, following which borders were classified into different segments. “The concept of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System is the integration of manpower, sensors, networks, intelligence and command control solutions to improve situational awareness at different levels of hierarchy to facilitate prompt and quick response to emerging situations,” said the report.
On India-Myanmar border, which recently witnessed illegal migration of Chin-Kukis, the demarcation of 1,472 km has been completed out of 1,643 km. “An advanced smart fencing system of 100 km along Indo-Myanmar border is in pipeline to strengthen the existing surveillance system,” said the report.
India shares a 1,643-km border with Myanmar which runs along Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km).
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