1. Home
2. Front Page

Centre sending expert panel for all-weather fencing

ASEM MOHIUDDIN. Dated: 11/25/2012 11:53:50 PM

SRINAGAR, Nov 25: With Government of India planning to send a team of experts and engineers to Jammu and Kashmir likely by next month to work out the plan for all weather fencing on Line of Control, the central home ministry is considering various other border management projects along the fencing to achieve zero infiltration.
Well placed sources told Kashmir Times that the team of experts would be arriving in Kashmir by the second week of December and will finalise the proposal.
The team of engineers from various construction agencies including defence and civil wings would talk to the local security officials and visit the Line of Control in Kupwara, Uri and other traditional infiltrating routes to survey.
“The first priority would be given to north Kashmir including Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora. However, the team would, on a war footing basis, consider Kupwara sector first for all weather fencing since it witnesses the steep rise in infiltration bids,” said the sources.
Sources said that the barriers erected on Line of Control (LoC) can withstand even heavy snowfall and would be highly beneficial to thwart infiltration from Pakistani side which so far remained continue despite various steps been taken by the army.
They said the schedule of team was decided after a high level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary RK Singh, DGP (J&K) Ashok Prasad and various other senior state and central officials.
The team, which will comprise engineers from the Army and organisations like Central Public Works Department and National Buildings Construction Corporation, will study the feasibility of erecting an all-weather fence that can withstand snow avalanches and heavy snowfall, the sources said.
Out of the 740-km length of the LoC with Pakistan, India has built fence of around 550 km, work for which was completed in 2004. Out of this, more than 80 kms of fencing is damaged due to snowfall or avalanches as a result of which terrorists are able to infiltrate into J&K with ease.
The team will carry out a detailed feasibility study of erecting a permanent fence and submit its report to the Union Home Ministry which will prepare a Cabinet note for final clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The focus of the team will be on fencing plans at around 40 places mainly from North Kashmir like Kupwara, Gurez, Uri, Keran and Doda district in the Jammu region, which have been traditional routes for terrorists to infiltrate into the Valley.
Confirming that GoI is considering the idea of all weather fencing on LoC, DGP Ashok Prasad said they floated the idea before central government two years back during the visit of Cabinet Committee on Security following which general consensus evolved.
However, he did not confirm the visit of team and said: “The idea is considered and if Home Ministry wants to execute it, the team of experts has to visit”.
Prasad said that alongside the all weather fencing, various other initiatives are taken under Border Management programme by Home and Defence Ministry to seize the opportunities for militants to sneak into the valley.
“Fencing of border is one of the ideas of Border Management Programme of Home Ministry. The fencing would ensure incredible benefits in stopping infiltration and along with other steps we can achieve zero infiltration,” he added.
However, he denied to discuss the other initiatives and said that steps would include installation of latest technology, deployment of manpower and other CBMs.
He said that fencing on LoC would be technically difficult as some areas falling on the zero line could be separated.
DGP said that agricultural activities of these people in those areas where they fall on other side would be given due consideration under the programme.
Prasad said that the proposal was also discussed under the Unified Headquarters meeting last year.
Meanwhile, the final go-ahead to the comprehensive proposal of all weather fencing was given after the visit of Central Home Ministry Sushil Kumar Shinde during last month. Before that, a presentation to the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was also made last month during the state police reasoned out that infiltration was curtailed to 80 percent with the erection of a temporary fence in 2004 and that the remaining could also be eliminated once a permanent structure comes in place.
Army had been objecting to such an arrangement saying that erection of a permanent fence would leave some of the villages in North Kashmir outside it raising concerns among the people but the civilian administration opined that a gate could be constructed at such places which would be exclusively open for the ingress and egress of the people of this area.
Army had earlier objected even to the temporary fencing of the border in early 2000 but later agreed after the then Government under the UPA-I gave a go ahead.
The present fencing consists of double-row of fencing and putting in a wire which is electrified and connected to a network of motion sensors, thermal imaging devices, lighting systems and alarms.
(With inputs from agencies)