A major change is under way along the western International Border (IB) with Pakistan to reduce the human interface and replace it with technological solutions to check infiltration.
By implementing a system known as Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), the Border Security Force (BSF) plans to bring down patrolling and replace it with Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs).
"We decided to implement CIBMS as humans, howsoever alert they are, cannot make the border leak-proof. There are limits to human alertness and they cannot see and hear the way sensitive gadgets can. Moreover, maintaining men at borders is a very costly affair. We cannot afford to deploy lakhs of soldiers to cover every inch," said a senior BSF official.
"Two pilot projects of CIBMS are already under way in Jammu. We will soon implement three more in Punjab and Gujarat. Another one will be taken up at Dhubri in Assam," said BSF Director-General KK Sharma.
Sharma said that infiltration could have been checked effectively or could have been avoided at Chamliyal, had CIBMS been there.
"Human eyes cannot clearly see beyond 200 metres but a hand-held thermal imager can see up to 2 km and hand-held radar up to 5-6 km, even if the weather is inclement. Our effort is to integrate all these high-end equipment to analyse information and reduce men on border," said Sharma.
"In place of making a human chain supported by gadgets for detection and then responding to situations, we are trying to use human resource to actively analyse inputs from ultra-modern intelligent gadgets and give precise and calibrated responses free of psychological and physical fatigue effects," added Sharma.
The integration of technology, sources said, can help reduce up to 50 per cent men who are engaged in tough patrolling duties in difficult weather conditions. It may take 3-4 years to completely integrate the whole border with CIBMS.
"Once the project is implemented, border security will depend on three main elements – inputs from equipment, analysis of the technolgical input by a dedicated team of officials and QRTs deployed at vantage points close to the border to act in case intrusion takes place," said a senior BSF official.
A major component of this system will be the smart fence, which will be a seamless virtual fence, comprising various sensors and laser- based technologies. Other components of the system to augment Smart Fence will be data transmission and communication centres, command and control system and response mechanism, said the BSF official.
