Centre Nod to Boost Fencing Along Indo-Pak Border

New Delhi:Amid a surge in militant attacks in the Jammu region, the Central government has approved recommendations from a committee to immediately upgrade fencing and security infrastructure along vulnerable sections of the Indo-Pak border.

Recently, the Union Home Ministry formed a committee to assess the security vulnerabilities along the 3,323 km Indo-Pak border, which stretches from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan, sources in the security establishment revealed on Sunday.

Focusing particularly on Jammu, which has become a new infiltration hotspot, sources indicated that 15-20 vulnerable points in the region need urgent reinforcement. "The enhancement of technology for better maintenance of fencing is critical," a senior border management official stated.

According to the sources, the committee has recommended deploying a range of advanced surveillance technologies. These include thermal imagers, infrared and laser-based intruder alarms, aerostats for aerial monitoring, unattended ground sensors to detect infiltration attempts, radars, fibre-optic sensors, and sonar systems for riverine areas where fences cannot be erected.

"In addition, there is an urgent need to scale up the use of advanced equipment such as hand-held thermal imagers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), jammers (both handheld and stationary) to counter enemy drones, and the upgrading of intelligence setups to thwart militants and infiltrators from the hostile neighbor," officials added.

The sources further mentioned that security agencies have recommended strengthening round-the-clock surveillance and patrolling along the border. Other suggestions include establishing more observation posts, increasing the number of BSF personnel, constructing additional border fencing and floodlights, and utilising watercraft and floating border outposts (BOPs) to monitor riverine areas.

Certain unfenced sections, including riverine and marshy stretches, remain challenging due to the terrain. These areas have previously been covered using technological solutions, but further fencing has been delayed by the difficult landscape and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to officials familiar with the developments.

The Jammu region, which had remained relatively free of terror for the past two decades, has seen an alarming rise in attacks since 2021. This resurgence is viewed as a setback to the government's claims of "Naya Kashmir" normality following the abrogation of the region's special status under Article 370. Over 52 security personnel have been killed in Jammu division alone since 2021.