Surveillance upgrade for 2 riverine gaps along border

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 3

Four months after the Pathankot airbase attack, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for upgrading surveillance on two riverine patches on the 198-km international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Centre has formulated a comprehensive integrated border management system to stop infiltration on the western border, which is porous despite an anti-infiltration obstacle system,” said official sources.

“It has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for upgrading surveillance on two riverine patches on the Indo-Pak border in the Jammu region,” the sources said.

Pakistani militants had always used riverine gaps on the 198-km international border to infiltrate into Indian territory before staging terror attacks on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway.

“The amount has been sanctioned to upgrade surveillance on the two riverine gaps in the Jammu region,” the sources said.

Following a spurt in terror attacks, various steps had been initiated by the Centre. It had been focusing its attention on infiltration and shelling from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir.

While the 744-km Line of Control (LoC) and international border had been getting the requisite attention, the Centre, in tandem with the state government, had adopted various measures to neutralise militants, the sources said.

A multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to contain cross-border infiltration, which included strengthening of border management and multi-tier deployment along the international border and LoC and near ever-changing infiltration routes, said a Home Department official.

“Improved technology, weapons and equipment for security forces, improved intelligence and operational coordination and synergising intelligence flow to check infiltration and proactive action against terrorists within the state are some new initiatives of the Centre,” he added.

Construction of culverts and bridges across rivulets along the international border to provide better connectivity for quick induction of forces was another such initiative, he said.

The Centre had sanctioned a pilot project for the construction of 60 bunkers along the border at a cost of Rs 3 crore to safeguard civilians during Pakistani firing and shelling despite a proposal for 20,125 community bunkers at a cost of Rs 1,006.25 crore.

Work on 60 bunkers in border areas of the Jammu region had already been taken up at a cost of Rs 5 lakh per bunker. Work on bunkers in the remaining areas would be taken up in a phased manner.