India deploys Smart Fencing on Indo-Bangladesh Border

India has completed two pilot projects under its Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) covering about 71 Kms on Indo-Pakistan Border (10 Kms) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (61 Kms). It will now take up Stage-II and Stage-III covering about 1955 Kms of the border which cannot be physically fenced.

India’s Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under CIBMS on Indo- Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam.

“The CIBMS project will vastly improve the capability of BSF in detecting and controlling the cross border crimes like illegal infiltration, smuggling of contraband goods, human trafficking and cross border terrorism etc,” read a communiqué from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

Rajnath Singh said that earlier in the month of September, 2018, two pilot projects of “smart” border fencing built under the CIBMS programme in Jammu were operationalised. He added that over a period of time the complete border will be covered.

CIBMS involves deployment of a range of surveillance technologies — thermal imagers, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms, aerostats for aerial surveillance, unattended ground sensors that can help detect intrusion bids, radars, sonar systems to secure riverine borders, fibre-optic sensors and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real time. Implementation of CIBMS projects on Indo — Pakistan and Indo — Bangladesh border will enhance the capabilities of India’s Border security Force (BSF).

At Dhubri, where BOLD-QIT project has been implemented along riverine border, it was not feasible to construct border fencing. The 61 kms of border area in Dhubri where River Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh consists of vast char lands and innumerable river channels thus making border guarding in this area a challenging task especially during rainy season.

Total rollout plan for CIBMS:

• Stage-I — Pilot projects in Jammu and Assam has been completed.
• Stage-II — Rollout of 153 Kms in 4 patches along Indo-Pakistan & Indo-Bangladesh Border.
• Stage-III — Rollout of 1802 Kms in 67 patches along Indo-Pakistan & Indo-Bangladesh border.

Stage-I of the project on pilot basis has been completed. Stage-I will be reviewed through an independent third party auditor (IIT Delhi).

Stage-II & III will primarily target Riverine, delta and estuary areas; Waterlogged and swampy areas; Creek areas; Plain areas vulnerable to heavy fog; Thickly populated areas on the border; Hilly areas; Tropical jungle areas; Deserts.