NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs in India is actively developing substantial infrastructure along international borders to address security concerns.
The Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) initiative, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2022, is well underway. It involves the construction of floodlights, fencing, and other essential infrastructure to protect the country’s borders.
India shares its borders with several countries, including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Myanmar, resulting in a total land border of 15,106.7 km. The BIM initiative, which is a Central scheme with an estimated budget of Rs 13,020 crore, is scheduled to continue until March 31, 2026, aiming to enhance development along these borders.
The home ministry, headed by Amit Shah, has undertaken various initiatives to secure the borders, including the construction of Border Out Posts (BOPs) on a war footing. These BOPs serve as the primary workstations of the Border Security Force (BSF) along the borders. The government has approved the construction of 509 Composite BOPs along the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders, with a significant portion allocated to the Indo-Bangladesh border, which experiences frequent cross-border infiltration.
The Indo-Bangladesh border spans West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, encompassing plains, riverine areas, hills and forested regions. The government has made substantial progress in physical fencing, with most of the work to be completed by March 2024. Additionally, floodlight installations along the Indo-Bangladesh border are nearly complete. On the Indian side of the Indo-Bangladesh border, the government has successfully completed the installation of physical fencing along 3,180.653 km out of the total 4,096.7 km. The remaining 916.047 km will be secured with a combination of physical and non-physical fencing.
Similar progress has been made along the Indo-Pakistan border, where hundreds of BOPs have been sanctioned and floodlights installed. The government has also approved fencing work to curb infiltration and smuggling along this border. Along the Indo-Myanmar border, an advanced smart fencing system is in the works, and demarcation has been completed for a significant portion. Floodlight installation along 2043.76 km out of the total 2078.80 km sanctioned areas along the Indo-Pakistan border has been completed. On the Indo-China border, various infrastructures have been established to enhance security. Road construction and upgrades have been approved along the Indo-Nepal border.
