After Uri, focus back on strengthening border infrastructure

Only an investigation will prove how the terrorists, who targeted the Uri Army camp, entered Kashmir.

The incident, however, has once again brought to focus the need for strengthening security infrastructure on the Indo-Pak border.

The government is now looking at the implementation of a report prepared by a high-level committee, headed by former home secretary Madhukar Gupta, which flagged gaps and vulnerability in fencing along Indo-Pak border.

The attack on a military installation in Uri is the second such attack this year by terrorists who have crossed over from Pakistan. Terrorists had earlier targeted Punjab’s Pathankot airbase in January this year.

It was after the Pathankot attack that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed the Gupta-led panel to suggest ways to improve border fencing.

The panel suggested the use of technology and has called for an integrated border management system with thermal imaging, fibre optics communication and heightened vigil on riverine frontiers to ensure that no infiltration takes place.

Of the 3,323-km long India-Pakistan border, 1,225 km falls in Jammu and Kashmir (including Line of Control), 553 km in Punjab, 1,037 km in Rajasthan and 508 km in Gujarat.

As per the Outcome Budget 2016-17, 1,987 km of fencing has been completed out of the sanctioned length of 2,071 km on the border. The MHA wants to augment the border security infrastructure and had planned to reduce the distance between Border Outposts (BOPs).

The Outcome Budget has said that the ministry’s objective is to “curb infiltration and inflow of arms and ammunition from across the border by building 58 km of roads, floodlighting 118 km and setting up 10 BOPs.