Soon, laser walls for riverine areas of Indo-Pak border

In efforts to tighten security on the Indo-Pak border, the government is fast tracking its efforts to cover 30-40 points on the border with laser walls.

Fencing is not possible on these stretches due to geographical constraints, senior officials said as they took stock of the lapses that helped terrorists to sneak into India and target the Pathankot airbase early this month.

Security agencies had identified around 40 such riverine stretches on the border located in Punjab and will be covered by laser wall technology developed by the Border Security Force (BSF).

As per the technology a “motion sensor alarm” sets off a loud siren and alerts border guards in case there is a movement along the unfenced stretch. In 2014, a similar laser-guided gadget was put to test to detect hidden tunnels in border areas and undulating land.

At present, half-a-dozen such points have been covered and efforts have been taken to set up such laser walls in the remaining stretches.

Officials said the point through which the terrorists entered India to attack the airbase was through Ujj river and it was not covered by laser wall. A secret camera, which was to capture any movement, did not record any footage.

This particular stretch now has a laser wall and it was set up just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pathankot airbase on January 9.

Last year, the BSF had started putting up laser walls on unfenced riverine stretches of international border in Jammu sector.