As cross-border tunnels keep popping, BSF asks industry to develop tunnel detection technology

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, May 5

Amidst a series of clandestine cross-border tunnels along the western front being detected over the past few years, the Border Security Force (BSF) has approached the industry for developing tunnel detection technology and equipment.

In the sixth edition of Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC-6), launched by the Defence Minister a few days ago, the BSF has projected a requirement for developing capability to detect dormant tunnels up to a depth of 15 metre and pinpoint any movement within them.

DISC is a platform under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence that offers specific projects to the small and medium scale industry, particularly start-ups, to develop technological solutions and products for the armed forces.

“In the recent past, a few tunnels have been detected on the western borders with Pakistan. Detection and imaging of underground tunnels is a big challenge, especially in the context of border security as the enemy can use his territory to dig a tunnel and open it deep inside our country behind own border security line to clandestinely infiltrate and smuggle narcotics, explosives, arms or ammunition,” the DISC document states.

In the latest such incident, the BSF said it had detected a tunnel on May 4 in the area of Chak Faquira Border Out Post in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir, which was about 150 metre long and originated on Pakistani side of the border. It is the fifth tunnel to be detected within a period of 18 months, according to the BSF.

“The tunnel was detected on the basis of intelligence inputs following which a search operation had been launched,” a senior BSF officer said. “So far we do not have any surveillance gadgets or equipment to search for and detect tunnels,” he added.

Trials of some equipment such as ground penetration radar, including that being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, have been carried out recently, but the results have not been encouraging and more work needs to be done, according to BSF officers.

The BSF requires equipment that should also be able to detect the exact location of any movement inside the tunnel at a distance of at least 100 metre. It should be portable and easy-to-operate system that gives the exact direction and distance of the source of movement or sound inside the tunnel.

On the western front, the BSF is responsible for the peacetime management of the international border with Pakistan from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. Its battalions are also co-deployed with the Army along the Line of Control from Akhnoor till Kargil. Though most of the border with Pakistan is fenced, there are some gaps along riverine stretches.

There have been a number of known instances of cross-border tunnels being detected by the Army and security forces. Sources point out that with engineering support from the military establishment, boring such tunnels, some of which may be several hundred metres long, is not difficult. Their exit could be concealed inside a shack or a barn-like structure near the border or even under dense vegetation or a crevice.