India launches 'smart fencing' in Assam border

India today launched "smart fencing" comprising electronic surveillance along a difficult stretch of its border in Assam with Bangladesh.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique (BOLD-QIT) along a 61km area in Dhubri district where the Brahmaputra river enters Bangladesh under Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) on India-Bangladesh border, said a statement of the ministry.

The 61-Km border in Dhubri district, where river Brahmaputra enters Bangladesh, comprises vast stretches of sand bank and innumerable river channels, making vigilance a daunting task for the BSF, especially during the rainy season, it said.

India's Border Security Force is responsible for safeguarding of 4,096km long international border with Bangladesh, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

Interacting with the media after inaugurating the project, Singh said the "smart fencing" will equip the unfenced areas along the riverine border with sensors, enabling the Indian troops to take prompt action against intrusion and other forms of cross-border crime.

The BOLD-QIT project will cover the entire span of river Brahmaputra in Dhubri with data network generated by microwave communication, optical fiber cables, day and night surveillance cameras and intrusion-detection system, he said.