BSF putting laser wall to fill gaps along Indo-Pak border

NEW DELHI: Facing difficulty in guarding riverine sections of Indo-Pak border, the BSF has started installing laser walls to fill the gaps which saw several breach by militants from across the border.

The BSF, which guards the 3,323-km border, excluding the Line of Control, has developed its own technical solutions like Farheen laser wall which is very useful to guard the fencing gaps.

"The laser has been installed in area of river Basantar, Bein Nallah, Karol Krishna and Paloa Nallah in the Jammu region," a Home Ministry official said.

In September 26, 2013, heavily armed militants entered into Hira Nagar in Jammu from across the border through a riverine section of the border and killed 10 people, including a Lieutenant Colonel.

In March, three terrorists in Army fatigues killed a jawan and two civilians in Jammu's Kathua district. They too were believed to have breached the riverine section of the border.

Sensor blips and alerts border guards in case there is a movement along the unfenced stretch of the frontier which is located in difficult terrain. A similar laser-guided gadget is being put to test to detect hidden tunnels in border areas and undulating land.

The BSF is also testing laser-guided and temperature sensitive radars that send out an alarm as soon as someone cuts the light path.

Such techniques are being used in countries like Israel and Singapore to guard their respective borders.

The 'smart fence' mechanism is part of an over Rs 4,500-crore modernisation plan being implemented by BSF, country's largest border guarding force with over 2.5 lakh personnel under its command.

BSF also guards the 4096-km-long Indo-Bangla border. At present, about 15 per cent of the Indo-Pak border and about 35 per cent of the Indo-Bangla frontier are unfenced.

The BSF, in a maiden initiative, is also undertaking an ambitious upgrading of its surveillance equipment, guns and artillery to effectively secure over 7,000-km border on the western and eastern fronts of the country.

The latest induction in BSF's modern weaponry include X-95 assault rifle, 9 mm beretta carbine and barrel grenade launcher.