Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 8: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs today announced installation of 24×7 seamless virtual fencing with sensors along 198 kilometers International Border (IB) with Pakistan in Jammu sector i.e. from Lakhanpur to Akhnoor to secure the borders from infiltration by the militants from Pakistan.
In a statement made in the Lok Sabha today, the MHA said the trials on new projects have already begun at two places on the International Border of Jammu sector and when executed and found successful, the project will be implemented along entire International Boundary in Jammu and Kashmir followed by other States like Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
“A pilot project for deployment of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management Solution (CIBMS) which includes different types of sensors, radars, day and night vision cameras etc, has been taken up,” the MHA statement said.
It added that the seamless virtual fencing would effectively curb any kind of infiltration attempts by the militants from Pakistan side along the IB, which would help avert terror attacks, which are caused by the militants after sneaking into the Indian territory on security establishments and other places.
According to the statement made in Lok Sabha, the pilot project of modernized has been undertaken in two stretches of five to six kilometers each in Jammu sector, adding that if found successful, similar projects will be taken up along the IB in rest of the border with Pakistan in Jammu sector and other States along the Indo-Pakistan border.
Though the BSF has been effectively guarding the International Border, the militants, sometimes, managed to cut border fencing to infiltrate into this side and carry out terror attack on security establishments and civilians. However, for the part quite some time, no successful infiltration by the militants has been reported along the International Border.
“We are making concerted efforts to modernize our border fence. We hope the new border fencing would be in place shortly,” official sources said.
“A few pilot projects are already on … two in Jammu and one each in Punjab and Gujarat where we have marshy areas,” sources said, adding that the Government wants the BSF to tackle the infiltration attempts with complete accuracy, thus, minimizing the chances of human error.
Sources further said that once the CIBMS becomes operational, aided by laser fence, surveillance radars, satellite imagery and thermal gadgets, the troops on ground will respond when they detect an infiltration bid in the multi-tier security ring, comprising the regular fence as well as laser walls.
The BSF is also looking into gadgets and securing technical support to tackle dangers presented by hidden tunnels running across the Indian borders.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also reviewed border projects in Jammu sector and other States with top officials of the Home Ministry, BSF and other para-military forces and executing agencies and directed for expediting the works.
The Home Minister directed that the ongoing projects should be completed on priority and in a time-bound manner. He mentioned that technological solutions should be put in place where physical barriers are not possible. This will involve networking of equipments like High Resolution Cameras, Radars, Unattended Ground Sensors, Optical Fibres, Infra Red Sensors, Aerostats and Hand-held Thermal Imagers etc.
Rajnath expressed his concern about the difficulties being experienced by the residents of border areas. He mentioned that necessary assistance should be extended to them in the field of education, health and other basic necessities.
Sources said though the BSF has succeeded in successfully tackling the infiltration attempts along the International Border, the Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t want to take any chance and that is why it has expedited the new project of seamless fencing through which it aimed to completely curb the intrusion bids by militants from Pakistan.
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