At a time when India is contemplating to install laser walls all along the borders with Pakistan to seal and to thwart any infiltration the question remains unanswered is how to encounter the number of riverine tracts, mountainous areas, rivers? Jammu and Kashmir shares 1225 km long border with Pakistan, which includes 740 km Line of Control (LoC). Jammu region has 200 km International Border (IB) that demarcates India and Pakistan. There are seven to eight rivers that directly flow into Pakistan from India. LeT and other terrorist organisations have been infiltrating militants into India through these small water bodies and rivers that flow from India, straight into Pakistan. Though constructing a wall to seal the border on these water bodies seems a difficult proposition but the best alternative could be thermal and laser wall mechanisms which can detect any breach thus activating a siren to caution the security men on duty. A dozen “laser walls” have been already made operational along the Indo-Pak International Border in Punjab to plug the porous riverine and treacherous terrain and keep an effective vigil against intruders and terrorists exploiting the frontier areas to cross over. The decision to install these laser walls was taken by BSF two years ago keeping in mind the vulnerability of the border in these areas as barbed wire fencing could not be installed in many infiltration prone areas due to treacherous terrain or marshy riverine topography. After the Pathankot terror attack in January, where it was suspected that terrorists crossed over from Pakistan by breaching the IB from Bamiyal area in Punjab, Union Home Ministry and BSF have sped up the deployment and activation of these walls along the long and winding border. Use of scientific technology and heightened vigil on riverine frontiers while guarding the Indo-Pak border were among the suggestions given by the Home Ministry-appointed committee which also flagged gaps and vulnerability in border fencing. Infiltration by Pak-supported militants from these points has been a matter of concern and recently it has seen an upward movement which has created lot of concern within the security apparatus.
