Smart fence project along Pak border misses 2nd deadline

CHECKING INTRUDERS First phase of project, that began in 2017, was to be inaugurated in April; June was fixed as revised deadline

JAMMU: The pilot smart fence project on the 198-km Indo-Pak International Border (IB) in the Jammu region of the state has crossed its second deadline too.

According to sources, smart fences in first phase of the project, which began on 5.3km and 5.5km stretches along the Samba sector of Jammu in early 2017, was supposed to be inaugurated in April this year. In March, June 2018 was stated as the revised deadline for the project.

However, the Border Security Force (BSF), that mans the border, says that the technologydriven smart fence will be inaugurated in August. “Though the project is in its final stages, it will be inaugurated in August by home minister Rajnath Singh.

The final call has to be taken by the BSF headquarters,” said a senior BSF officer on the basis of anonymity.

The officer said, “Once inaugurated, the project will be evaluated for some time to see its efficacy in winters, summers, monsoon and foggy weather conditions. Thereafter, the project will be rolled out along the entire border.”

The second phase will cover the entire stretch of 198km long International Border.

The technology-aided smart fence has sensors along the International Border. It will effectively check intruders who enter Jammu and Kashmir for terror attacks.

The smart fence is part of reviewing the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). The smart fence picks up body heat signatures from a distance of 3km.