India Enhances Border Security with Extensive Fencing Initiatives
Strengthening Border Security
In a bid to bolster security and prevent illegal crossings, India has successfully erected physical barriers along more than 93% of the India-Pakistan international border and approximately 79% of the India-Bangladesh border. This information was disclosed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) during a session in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. According to the ministry's data, fencing has been completed over 2,135.136 kilometers, which accounts for 93.25% of the total 2,289.66 kilometers of the India-Pakistan border.
Current Status of Border Fencing
The written response from Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai revealed that 154.524 kilometers, or 6.75%, of the India-Pakistan border still requires fencing. Similarly, for the India-Bangladesh international border, which stretches 4,096.70 kilometers, fencing has been completed over 3,239.92 kilometers, representing 79.08% of the total length. The remaining 856.778 kilometers, or 20.92%, remains unfenced.
Progress on Other Borders
Additionally, the data indicates progress on the India-Myanmar border, which is 1,643 kilometers long, with physical fencing completed over 9.214 kilometers. The government emphasized that the fencing initiative is a crucial element of its strategy to enhance national security and curb illegal immigration. Rai addressed inquiries from two MPs of the Trinamool Congress regarding the unfenced areas of the border.
Overview of India's Borders
Overall, India has a land border that spans 15,106.7 kilometers and a coastline measuring 7,516.6 kilometers, including its island territories. India shares its land borders with seven neighboring countries. To the west, it has a lengthy border with Pakistan, traversing Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, which also includes the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Geopolitical Context
In the north and northeast, India shares a vast and sensitive border with China, marked by the Line of Actual Control, passing through Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Furthermore, India maintains an open and friendly border with Nepal, allowing for seamless movement of people through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. In the east, India shares borders with Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.