New Delhi, Nov 14, 2022, By Special Correspondent
New Delhi, Nov 14: Concerned over the presence of 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in India, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has stepped up measures to cover the gaps in the porous international boundary by physical and non-physical barriers.
Assam and West Bengal are considered to be the worst hit due to the alleged illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.
The entire task is expected to be completed by March 2024, according to the annual report of the MHA.
The total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096.7 km, of which 3,145 km has been covered by physical fencing and the remaining is planned to be covered by physical and non-physical barriers.
The non-physical barrier will comprise technological solutions, while sanction has also been accorded to replace the old design fence with a new design fence.
There have been certain problems in fencing in certain stretches on this border due to riverine and low-lying areas, habitations within 150 yards of the border, pending land acquisition cases and protests by the border population, which have delayed the completion of the project, the report said.
The report also mentioned that the government has undertaken the construction of a fence along it the border to check infiltration, smuggling and other anti-national activities from the other side.
"In order to prevent illegal migration and illegal activities including anti-national activities from across the border, the government of India had sanctioned the construction of border fencing with floodlights in two phases," it said, adding that all the ongoing works are to be completed by March 2024.
Border roads have been constructed for better communication and operational mobility in border areas, it said. So far 3,750.87 km of border roads have been constructed out of the sanctioned length of 4,223.04 km. The ongoing work is to be completed by March 2024.
The government has decided to undertake the work of installation of floodlights in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura along the India-Bangladesh border. Out of 3,077.549 km of border floodlight sanctioned, 2,681.99 km of work has been completed. The rest is to be completed by March 2023.
"The Indo-Bangladesh border is marked by a high degree of porosity and the checking of illegal cross border activities and illegal migration from Bangladesh to India have been major challenges," according to the MHA report for 2021-22.