Border Fencing and Border/Strategic Roads

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 13 May 2010 23:56

Since the Internal Security thread has a lot more issues to deal with, it has been decided that an exclusive section that just deals with Border Fencing, Roads and other infrastructure along India's borders with Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma will be started.

This section will primarily discuss, current status of fencing/roads, ongoing activities and measures taken in that regards and also the impediments to more effective border control. The thread will also discuss issues related to BSF and BRO.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 14 May 2010 00:01

The below is a sheet that has been maintained for quite sometime now. This enlists the statistics for the borders along Pakistan and Bangladesh with numbers detailing the state details.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key ... utput=html

Please feel free to let me know if you find anything important in the statistics (errors or any new stats which are relevant), I will update the sheet.

Very soon, I shall put up a detailed post which describes the sheet and also a graphical overview of where our border security stands as of today. The stalwarts on the forum especially about the frontier areas (for the indo-pak border) and about the North east (for the indo-bangla border) are requested to share their knowledge to improve our database.

Thanks

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 14 May 2010 02:20

Border Roads turns 50; old traditions; new problems
http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2010/05/ ... tions.html

The Subverted Indo-Bangladesh Border --- VK Shashikumar
http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2009 ... order.html

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 14 May 2010 02:44

India-Bangladesh Border Management: A Review of Government's Response
Author: Pushpita Das
Published in: journal Strategic Analysis, Volume 32, Issue 3 May 2008, pages 367 - 388

Border management: Dilemma of guarding the India-Bangladesh border
Author: N. S. Jamwal
Affiliation: a Commandant in the Border Security Force (BSF),
Published in: journal Strategic Analysis, Volume 28, Issue 1 January 2004 pages 5 - 36

Border Management and India's North East ---- Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
http://www.idsa.in/idsastrategiccomment ... uza_180706

The India-Bangladesh Border : "A Problem Area for Tomorrow" ---- Pushpita Das
http://www.idsa.in/idsastrategiccomment ... Das_081206

Managing the Tripura- Bangladesh Border: Issues and Challenges ---- Bibhu Prasad Routray
http://www.ipcs.org/article/terrorism-i ... -1062.html

India-Bangladesh: Restoring Sovereignty on Neglected Borders ---- Kanchan Lakshman* & Sanjay K. Jha
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publicati ... ticle7.htm

Indo-Bangladesh Informal Trade Nexus: India's Security Predicament ---- by M Chakraborty
http://www.socialsciences-ejournal.org/ ... aborty.pdf

On the Pyrdiwah incident: Savagery Repeated on Indo-Bangladesh Border ---- by Anand Kumar
http://www.saag.org/common/uploaded_fil ... r1353.html

WORK PERMITS TO INFILTRATORS: need for caution --- by R. Upadhyay
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpap ... er248.html

BRF's very own:
The Crossroads - The North Eastern States ---- H. Calvin
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/I ... obbes.html

Security Challenges to India-Bangladesh Relations ---- Centre for Land Warfare Studies
http://www.claws.in/index.php?action=ma ... 01&u_id=36

India And Myanmar: Treacherous Frontier - South Asia Intelligence Review
http://www.eurasiareview.com/2010/03/32 ... erous.html

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 16 May 2010 08:49

97% of funds for building roads along China border unspent: CAG
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 924123.cms

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 16 May 2010 09:01

very timely thread guys, my thanks.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 17 May 2010 03:35

Cop cover for highway vehicles
CRPF back on road to Sikkim, traffic resumes
http://telegraphindia.com/1100517/jsp/f ... 456718.jsp

The comeback of the paramilitary force follows yesterday’s violence in which 10 Sikkim-bound vehicles were damaged by alleged Morcha supporters on the highway, the Himalayan state’s only road link to the rest of the country. The shutdown is part of the Morcha tactics to pile pressure on the government to include the Terai and some parts of the Dooars in the proposed interim set-up for the hills.

The ranking on density and quality of roads has West Tripura district having the first rank with 206.62 km of road per 100 sq. km, while Kurung Kumey district in Arunachal is ranked 80 with only 2.53 km road per 100 sq. km.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/ ... 431235.ece

The minister said the meeting had discussed issues relating to Bangladesh-India enclaves, land dispute, and the delay in implementing the 1974 Indira-Mujib agreement. "As per the agreement, no country can construct any installation within 150 yards of the zero point along the borders. But India, in some places, has constructed barbed fencing within 150 yards of the border." She remarked that they were trying to cross the boundary on geographical ground. She however, did not elaborate what did that mean.

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=161348

The people in Tamenglong district are now heavily depending on the Tamei-Tening road to transport essential commodities from Dimapur. The transporters mostly carry rice from Dimapur to Tamenglong district via Peren district of Nagaland. It is worth noting that the distance from Tamei in Tamenglong district to the nearest Nagaland village is just 30 kilometres and its been for years now that good number of taxis have been plying in this link road.

Once the Barak bridge is over, Tamei-Tening road will be the shortest road to reach Dimapur from Imphal. The food stock in the Tamenglong district depleted after the imposition of counter blockade by the people in the Manipur valley. As the counter blockade continues in Imphal, the hill district of Ukhrul too depends on the other roads that connects Nagaland without touching Imphal. The Chandel people in turn look for the roads that link the district to Ukhrul so that essential commodities can be transported without passing Imphal.

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=4..170510.may10
NH-39: Life Line or Death Line?
http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp ... ions.NH-39

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 18 May 2010 05:12

Guite Road just about passes the traffic test
http://www.sentinelassam.com/northeast/ ... pr=1#36362

With NH-39 and NH-53 virtually sealed due to the indefinite economic blockade being imposed by All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM), a Manipur ministerial team led by Works Minister K Ranjit have inspected Guite Road, which connects Manipur to Mizoram, to see if the road can be used for bringing in essential commodities which are in acute shortage at present. However the condition of Guite Road was found ‘not quite good’ whereas the road on the Mizoram side was better though it is narrower than Guite Road.

NH-44: No improvement even after minister’s commitment
http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/sto ... pr=1#36484
States may steer expressways
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_st ... ys_1384302

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 31 May 2010 18:25

Modern ICCP along border to promote trade
http://www.sentinelassam.com/northeast/ ... pr=1#37540

The Ambassador of Myanmar apprised Handique regarding the progress of the road linking Zokhta in Mizoram and Setpytpin in Myanmar. He further mentioned that the request by the Government of India for the Myanmar Government is acting upon expediting the development of the road, said sources. The road is part of the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project, which envisages connectivity between Indian Ports on the Eastern seaboard, Sittwe Port in Myanmar and then through riverine transport and then by road to Mizoram.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/det ... y3110/at07

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 01 Jun 2010 09:49

Centre relaxes fencing norms

According to central sources, the Union home ministry will relax the norm on border fencing to raise the iron barbed wire fencing on the Indo-Bangladesh border, 150 metres away from the zero point of the international border, only in the case of the northern boundary of Karimganj town. The stretch of the town is located along the southern bank of river Kushiara and zero point falls midstream. In case of the prevailing fencing rules, at least 30,000 people living along the town’s border areas would be cut off.

The Centre has on three earlier occasions pleaded with the former BNP government in Bangladesh led by Begum Khaleda Zia for the relaxation of the fencing rule. Union government sources said the Bangladesh government has now agreed to Delhi’s proposal on “humanitarian considerations”.

However, he said he was privy to an official minute where the National Building Construction Corporation of India (NBCC) has been asked by the Union home ministry to raise the fencing along Karimganj town’s border with Bangladesh in accordance with the new and relaxed norms.

http://telegraphindia.com/1100601/jsp/n ... 509287.jsp

These are BD illegal immigrants on whose situation there was a report a few days back....

A fresh batch of settlers was evicted today from Sapatgram town in Dhubri district when they tried to encroach into 500 bighas of khas (government) land. A police team, led by Bilasipara subdivisional police officer Gunindra Deka, rushed to the spot and evicted the encroachers.

Expedite fencing work: BSF
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/det ... n0110/at05

The BSF IG said that the pace of construction of the fencing should be expedited and floodlights should be installed along the fencing. The BSF is coordinating with the agencies involved in construction of border fencing and the concerned State governments to ensure that the pace of construction is expedited. He admitted that there were some problems in construction of the fencing in Meghalaya because of agitations by some organizations and the BSF is in regular touch with the State government to deal with the matter.

Raj said that the BSF has been stressing the need for providing photo identity cards to the citizens living near the international border to improve border management. He said that though it would be a national project, priority should be given on the Dhubri sector as because of the ethnic similarity of the people living on both sides of the border, it is impossible to detect a Bangladeshi national if he manages to sneak into India.

Note that the above blurb is on the very-same Dhubri district....

The BSF IG said that vacancies in almost all the battalions are another major problem as filling up of the vacant positions take a long time and adds extra burden on the troops on the border. He revealed that the overall vacancy position is around 10 to 12 percent, which is a big number considering the fact that the men on the ground are already overburdened. He also expressed the view that the process of developing infrastructure for the troops along the border should be expedited.

Commenting on the performance of the troops along the border during his tenure as the IG of the Assam-Meghalaya frontier, he said that deployment of one additional battalion early this year in the Tura sector, once considered vulnerable to movement of anti-national elements, improved the scenario considerably, while optimum utilization of the modern equipment like the hand-held thermal imagers, monocular, night vision devices, etc., acted as force multipliers and improved the performance of the force.

He said that in the past one year, the BSF managed to apprehend more than 50 anti-national elements along the border and in the counter-insurgency operations, while 17 hardcore militants surrendered before the BSF.

Paging Murali yet again,

On border fencing along India-Bangladesh border, the Home Minister said 13 km of fencing and 16 km of road works were completed in May, under phase II of the project. 12 km of fencing was replaced under phase III of the project. Poles for floodlighting were erected on a stretch of 35 km during the month. Work along the Indo-China border is also continuing with 2.04 km of formation works and 1.3 km of surfacing works being completed during May.

The Union Home Minister said the Centre has released the first instalment of Rs 88.66 crore for Border Area Development Programme (BADP) to the States of Tripura (Rs. 24.49 crore), Mizoram Rs 22.38 crore, Meghalaya (Rs. 11.22 crore) and West Bengal (Rs. 30.57 crore).

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/det ... n0110/at06
How consistent are the numbers?

Government misses another date
http://www.sentinelassam.com/mainnews/s ... pr=1#37726

None of the three parties involved in the much-hyped tripartite talks on Assam Accord, for which targets are set only to be missed, can say when an updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be in place in the State.

The May 5, 2005 tripartite talks involving the Centre, the State Government and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had set a target of September 2007 to complete NRC update. Five years have already elapsed, but the work of NRC update has not been started as yet. The latest tripartite talks held on April 22 this year also decided to start a pilot project on NRC update in two development blocks — Chhaygaon and Barpeta Sadar — with effect from June 1, 2010. The decision taken at the tripartite was such that the pilot project to be started from June 1 should be completed within six months to a year. However, when contacted, the Directorate of NRC Update, Assam expressed its ignorance about when the work of the pilot project would be started. They, however, said that since the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had not yet issued its notification for the start the work of the pilot project of NRC update, the work would not be started tomorrow.

Seriousness on the part of the State Government to update the NRC is open to question. After repeated failures to meet the targets set for NRC update, the latest date of June 1, 2010 set for the start of the pilot project on NRC update is also set to be missed.

This is yet another Sheila Dixit vs MHA redux, the ball is firmly in the court of Shri Tarun Gogoi and his GoA in case they want to do something. Not like the AGP and ex-CM PK Mahanta get away with kudos galore. AASU has talked a lot, done little. So has ulfa, so has agp, so has bjp, at least to INC's cred, they never talked about implementing IMDT. Wonderful. Bravo. Democrazy unlimited.... After all did nt the Assamese elect the wunderbar-esque neanderthal party (GOP is amrikan anglais-lite for INC, neanderthal party is better suited for how meandering and darwin-esque it has become) amidst all the progress on illegal immigration.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 01 Jun 2010 10:11

Expanding the scope of this thread to border-watch

A shot in the arm for Arunachal Tourism
http://www.sentinelassam.com/arunachal/ ... pr=1#37621

Tourism sector in the State is all set to get a shot in the arm with the government giving its nod to the proposed 8th Arunachal Travel Congress and Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators Association (APTOA) Convention at Tawang on October 3 and 4 next. APTOA, which called on Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu here today, informed that the CM was visibly happy with the initiatives taken up by the Association to showcase Arunachal Pradesh as one of the most sought after tourism destinations of the country. It said that Khandu has assured all cooperation to the Association in its endeavors on behalf of the government keeping in view the immense tourism potentials of the State. He has also consented to attend the APTOA Convention as the Chief Guest.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 05 Jun 2010 13:08

Indo-Bangla group to resolve boundary dispute
http://www.sentinelassam.com/meghalaya/ ... pr=1#38047

‘Scrap Sec 6-A of Citizenship Act as it threatens Assam’
http://www.sentinelassam.com/mainnews/s ... pr=1#37973

BDR protests BSF work on Padua border
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... nid=141452

Pipes go dry, tourists flee Sikkim ---- Water scarcity hits gangtok hotels
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100604/j ... 526870.jsp

A spate of bandhs called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in north Bengal in the middle of May had taken its toll on the Sikkim tourism. Traffic on NH31A, the only road connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country, is disrupted whenever a bandh is called in the Darjeeling hills.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 07 Jun 2010 00:41

Move to deploy BSF on India-Myanmar border
http://www.sentinelassam.com/meghalaya/ ... pr=1#38255

Surface links of Tripura and Barak Valley threatened
http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/sto ... pr=1#38179

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 12 Jun 2010 06:35

Tripura seeks more security along border with Bangladesh

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has urged union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to deploy more security on the India- Bangladesh border along the northeast region to check the movement of militants.

'Bangladesh-based northeast terrorists are using the Tripura border as their corridor. Hence, four more battalions of Border Security Force (BSF) should be deployed along the border with Bangladesh,' Sarkar told reporters Wednesday after returning from New Delhi.

He met Chidambaram Saturday and discussed various security-related issues, including curbing of terrorism in northeast India.

'Many camps of northeast militants still exist in Bangladesh,' the chief minister said.

Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio in the state, said there were 16 battalions of the BSF currently guarding the 856-km Tripura border with Bangladesh. One BSF battalion has nearly 1,100 security personnel.

He told Chidambaram that to maintain effective vigilance on the border, the distance between border out posts (BOPs) of the BSF should be cut from the present 4.5 km to 2.5 km, keeping in mind the region's topography.

'Chidambaram has responded positively to these demands,' he said.

The chief minister also requested the union home minister to allow the Tripura government to raise two more Tripura State Rifles (TSR) battalions to deal with the separatist outfits.

Counter-insurgency trained TSR battalions were constituted in 1984 to curb terrorism in the northeastern state -- 75 percent of its troopers are from Tripura while the remaining are from across the country.

At present, there are 13 TSR battalions in the state. Nine of them are under the Indian Reserve battalions category and could be deployed anywhere in the country.

Sarkar also demanded sanctioning of Rs.3,000 by the central government for each special police officer (SPO), who assist the regular forces to tackle terrorism and local crimes.

Link

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 12 Jun 2010 16:09

Stan sir,

the numbers do seem consistent so far. i mean a little aberration here and there when you match year end with month details and maybe due to floods. But overall ok. I will update my sheet and put a separate page on that for number consistency

Murali

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 12 Jun 2010 16:13

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/l ... ?nid=23756

India has violated international law by erecting barbed-wire fence at 46 points along the border with Bangladesh, said Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder on Sunday.

As per the law, it is illegal to put barbed-wire fence within 150 yards from the zero point.

After a ministerial meeting at the secretariat, the home secretary told reporters that India too admitted that its fence at some points was erected in defiance of the law.

India and Bangladesh conducted a survey on fencing by India and came to the conclusion that fencing at 12 points was against the law.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun said Bangladesh decided to impose restrictions on crossing border at night to stop border killings and smuggling.

The minister mentioned that India already asked its people not to cross border at night.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 12 Jun 2010 17:48

murali:

Home Minister Sahara Khatun said Bangladesh decided to impose restrictions on crossing border at night to stop border killings and smuggling.

The minister mentioned that India already asked its people not to cross border at night.

What is the actual meaning. So people just cross border during daytime with no permits etc? Or it is just that even with permits both countires are now not allowing folks crossing the border.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 13 Jun 2010 01:31

Muppalla wrote:murali:
Home Minister Sahara Khatun said Bangladesh decided to impose restrictions on crossing border at night to stop border killings and smuggling.

The minister mentioned that India already asked its people not to cross border at night.
What is the actual meaning. So people just cross border during daytime with no permits etc? Or it is just that even with permits both countires are now not allowing folks crossing the border.

I think it is like this ( and i am pretty sure)

There is lot of movement (not immigration, just movement of people for trade and also movement in not so well defined tracts and also movement within the 150 ft line) during all parts of the day. Of course during the day it is more. But of late most of smuggling and illegal immigration is tried at night and happens within the 300 ft (150 ft from the border line of each country). BSF has many times in the past fired at people and so has BDR if they suspect anything near the fence or zero line when there is no fence. This happens more at night, since most of the area is not floodlighted and they have to fire to make sure that they guys across the other side of the border is warned. This does result in loss of life sometimes and both India and Bangladesh make efforts to inform their people to avoid movement during night time. I mean what is a BSF officer expected to do at night other than fire, when he sees a guy covered with a shawl from head to toe walking so close to indian border and that too within the 150 ft line, will he not assume that he has crossed the BDR force. There is no chance that he has a permit, because if he had one, he would be at the check post and not at some random point on the border.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Jun 2010 01:39

I was reading about the recent situation in Arizona:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... 64,00.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... tion_N.htm

It's interesting to note that the strict new laws are having an affect on illegal residents. The Arizonians are taking flak from the leftist and hispanic groups, but the law is starting to work.

If India were to enact stronger legislation on evicting illegal migrants - especially from the NorthEast - then the deterrent effect could turn the tide of illegal immigration the other way.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 13 Jun 2010 17:46

Sanjay M wrote:I was reading about the recent situation in Arizona:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... 64,00.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... tion_N.htm

It's interesting to note that the strict new laws are having an affect on illegal residents. The Arizonians are taking flak from the leftist and hispanic groups, but the law is starting to work.

If India were to enact stronger legislation on evicting illegal migrants - especially from the NorthEast - then the deterrent effect could turn the tide of illegal immigration the other way.

Lets analyze this. Reading the USAtoday article says that all the hispanics were planning to move to another state, but never mentions them leaving the country. Now that is no success for the law by any means. In fact they are making it more difficult for them to identify them as they will be spread across (as if they are not already). The only good thing might be that, they dont create very high numbers for themselves in arizona.

But in my opinion, a law on this subject is only effective if it can achieve 2 objectives

1. Make the illegals (in India's NE or in Arizona) leave the country back to their homeland

2. Deter future illegals from coming in.

Making a tougher law for India as a whole in this direction might not be possible, but we can certainly put some rules like "Arrest drive in WB and NE for the next 1 year, any suspected illegal will be arrested on sight", but we have to make sure that this does not make them move to other parts of India. So some clause and more importantly checks and enforcements are needed to make sure that does not happen.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 22 Jun 2010 21:44

http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?t ... 3&typeid=1&

Electric Fencing along Indo-Bangla Border

Shillong, April 28 (NEPS): The more-than-five-hundred-kilometer-long porous Indo-Bangla border is now to be put up an electric fencing to have a close vigil on all kind of cross border activities.

The border fencing issue, which remained neglected for a long time by the Union Home Ministry, will now have the new system of electric fencing under the control of the BSF of Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Sources said that the electric fencing nicknamed as the cobra is likely to be introduced at a number of areas where movement of insurgents and smugglers is high.

The BSF sources also disclosed that the new system has become inevitable as reports of insurgent and other illegal
activists have been moving with impunity to Bangladesh and vice versa, although the matter is yet to be finalized.

Informing that the new system of electric fencing was successful in Indo-Pak border, BK Dey Sawian, Inspector General of BSF in charge of Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, said the new system to be introduced in the porous Indo-Bangla border should be welcomed. He, however, said the electric fencing would not be introduced to all along the Indo-Bangla border but to certain areas where visual monitoring was difficult.

The BSF official also disclosed that another preventive device was also likely to be introduced with radar technology to strengthen the electronic fencing. This device would be able to detect movements of any kind of people along the borders, he stated.

The BSF also said New Delhi would perhaps again request its counterpart, Dhaka, to take stern action against northeast militants sheltering in its soil.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 26 Jun 2010 11:26

Spectre of delay haunts projects --- Work on highway under scanner
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100626/j ... 610836.jsp

Sources said the notice had left both Dispur and the NHAI anxious and worried. After all, the 678km East West corridor project in the state is a national project monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office and is behind schedule by three years. Only around 90km have been completed till date. Any change in alignment at this late stage could delay the completion of the stretch by a year going by the pace of work.

And just now there was hope for peace following ndfb and dhd honchos' arrest...

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 28 Jun 2010 13:31

Work on rohtang tunnel is going to start.

http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/regio ... oject.html

Isn't the time schedule too slow.It should be completed before 2015.Any comments.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 29 Jun 2010 03:48

darshhan wrote:Work on rohtang tunnel is going to start.

http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/regio ... oject.html

Isn't the time schedule too slow.It should be completed before 2015.Any comments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlberg_Road_Tunnel

The Arlberg Tunnel is almost 14 kms long and has been built at just about 4000 ft in 4 yrs. Rohtang Tunnel is 9 Kms long and being built at an elevation of approximately 10000 ft (extremely daunting from a engineering perspective). So I would assume that these 9 kms would even take more than 5 yrs given Indian pace of things. But the Arlberg tunnel was built in the late 70's and now with current technology, 5 yrs for rohtang tunnel in India, seem right on dot to me if they complete it. But my buck is that, it will be ready by 2018 (just a arbitrary number i am throwing around)

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 30 Jun 2010 11:40

One proposal Sangma wants Bangladesh to look into is the feasibility of connecting Dhaka and Tura using the ADB-funded Bangabandhu Bridge (Jamuna multi-purpose bridge). It takes 1,600km to reach Guwahati from Dhaka, via Calcutta and Siliguri. If the Bangabandhu Bridge is used, it will cut the distance by 700km for the Calcutta-Dhaka-Tura-Guwahati route.

This after his recent accident in BD. Why not look at Burma and extend the Kaladan-Sittwe road-waterway further to Meghalaya also? Would that be an issue cos that will go through Manipur, the Meitei stronghold? Wheels within wheels in the NE. Some of it is truly bizarre.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100630/j ... 625869.jsp

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 30 Jun 2010 13:50

Slide no 10: The BRO is also studying the feasibility of constructing another tunnel beneath the Shinkula Pass.
Pictures of the Rohtang pass tunnel inauguration work.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article493401.ece

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 03 Jul 2010 11:51

According to reports available with the Bangladesh government, the Indian Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has recently approved implementation of four-lane 78-kilometre Krishnanagar-Baharampore road in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 702 crore.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... nid=145158

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 08 Jul 2010 16:01

Fencing delay hits BSF job
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100708/j ... 656757.jsp

According to the BSF, border fencing will minimise transborder crimes, including smuggling. The BSF claimed that it had written to the state government several times on the need to resume the fencing but in vain. The state government had to keep in abeyance border fencing in several areas in Khasi-Jaintia Hills because of the opposition from pressure groups under the banner Co-ordination Committee on International Border. The committee’s spokesperson G.H. Kharshanlor today said the government should first start the re-survey of the border areas since there was dispute and the matter related to areas of adverse possession also needs to be solved before the border is fenced.

According to the committee, fencing should be erected close to the zero line and not 150 yards from it as proposed by the BSF. It was during the tenure of former chief minister D.D. Lapang that the committee had submitted a memorandum asking the state government to direct the National Building Construction Company (NBCC) to stop border fencing. According to Kharshanlor, the former chief minister had directed the NBCC to cancel the already floated tender for fencing. The stand of the government is that if the border fencing is erected beyond the 150 yards from the zero line, several stretches of vast fertile land on the border belonging to the Khasi villagers would be lost.

vic · Post by **vic** » 12 Jul 2010 20:30

I don’t know where to discuss this, so here it is!

As I understand that a Rail-line is being built to connect J&K to rest of Indian mainland. IIRC that midway there was some major dispute about alignment. So what is the present status? Has the re-alignment been done properly or just partially to save the H&D of some people? I was reading that there was a proposal to even drop the world’s highest bridge in favor of drilling through the mountains? Can somebody who is better informed discuss this?

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 05 May 2011 18:51

Up

What is the current status of the Bdesh border fencing, muraliravi or anyone?

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 06 May 2011 14:08

supratik,

from where i am now, cant access my google docs. will publish my latest file soon. sorry for not updating it regularly.

but as such, the last quarter of 2010 was good, but this first quarter of 2011 progress has been very slow and only 25% of the target set in this quarter has been achieved. now with megalaya negotiating a deal with BD to fence on zero line, hopefully agitations will stop and they will let bsf fence.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 06 May 2011 19:54

Meghalaya's bargaining with BD is not going well. There was a plan that PM MMS will go to BD and sign off on either the enclaves issue or riverine possessions issue. There were many curveballs thrown in media to "test" what the reaction would be to bartering away Indian territory in return for some "security" and in this there was an attempt to find closure from the 47 saga. Unfortunately, India at large failed to react. But for those who mattered, as in say, Jaitapur or Khasi Hills, there was a serious and violent backlash. PM's trip has not been scheduled, which means that both sides are playing hard-ball. In fact, there was an article that floated around saying that Hasina and BD are feeling "the drift" of the relations due to lack of visit of Nirupama Rao or SM Krishna or PM MMS, all of which were re-scheduled due to no agreement being hammered out. That looked like a 100% plant as are most articles in mainstream media relating to FP issues. That article was meant to coerce the Indians to playing soft in some sense on the bargaining.

In fact, I had a half-baked article written myself on what we will stand to lose. Did nt post due to the half-bakedness of the content. Whatever way I diced that, I saw a net loss with only the magnitude of the loss being in question. Now with riverine possessions creating char territory at random, how is an agreement hammered on paper going to be enforced by BSF or the BSB (the newly renamed BDR). When you say "fence to the zero line", that should be fence to the zero line on dry land. It cant be fence in a riverine area where we will have the same problems we had in J&K with snow. With rivers shifting course at will, riverine land also changes tack. So I am not really sure what is the big plan. Plus, most (I would say 99%) of the illegal immigration from BD to India happens through WB and Assam, not through Meghalaya or Tripura. And WB is not serious enough (due to labor shortage, would you believe that?!!!!) nor is Assam going to implement IMDT Act anytime soon. So the big picture is confusing esp with estimated numbers thrown in.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 07 May 2011 01:02

Thats Jaintapur, not Jaitapur, another in the news town.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 09 May 2011 20:24

Pawan Hans grounding stalls China border roads
During a recent visit, I was surprised that the locals were very skeptical about BRO's ability to build roads in this area. And I don't blame them--the road is atrocious and from what I have seen, this Pawan Hans grounding is just another convenient BS excuse. One would expect to see building activity during the few good-weather months but there is absolutely NO activity along the main Bhalukpong-Tawang section. None. All one sees is the stray bulldozer removing rocks that have fallen from above and a few local laborers breaking rocks manually. Hotel owners don't expect the road to be complete even in 10 years and they point at the Chinese 4-lane highway that stops at the border. Something is seriously wrong. Maybe GoI is not entirely comfortable about providing the Chinese an expressway to Assam and is dragging its foot?

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 01 Jun 2011 11:02

He said of the 128km stretch of both the land and riverine international borders along Cachar and Karimganj districts, only 46km remains to be fenced.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110601/j ... 052871.jsp

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 19 Jun 2011 09:22

Rohtang Pass

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 01 Jul 2011 21:59

Bengal and Bangladesh share a 2,216.7km border, of which 335km fall in riverine areas. Of the remaining 1,881.7km, around 1,360km have been fenced, according to government data.

http://telegraphindia.com/1110701/jsp/f ... 183871.jsp

Murali, any district-wise breakdown of the remaining 320 km that lack fencing? I have some population change %s for the border districts, want to correlate with that.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 17 Sep 2011 22:00

Stan_Savljevic wrote:
Bengal and Bangladesh share a 2,216.7km border, of which 335km fall in riverine areas. Of the remaining 1,881.7km, around 1,360km have been fenced, according to government data.
http://telegraphindia.com/1110701/jsp/f ... 183871.jsp

Murali, any district-wise breakdown of the remaining 320 km that lack fencing? I have some population change %s for the border districts, want to correlate with that.

Stan Sir,

Sorry man, been on a long hiatus. This fencing data is making no more sense to me. My table is updated. I dont have a district wise breakdown for sure. But if u remember, they had marked 3 phases 1,2, 3. Now 1 is completed. 2 is almost stand still, the govt keeps saying every month that XX kms of phase 2 and 3 were done. But if u look at the annual report damn man, from 2009 to 2011 they have done 60 kms total in phase 2. just does not make sense. And if u look at phase 3, they have not released data in the annual report, but if u combine month wise, they have done 1000+ kms in phase 3, while required is 850.

If u have some time email me at muraliravi@gmail.com and lets chat one to one abt this. I really want to get a good picture of this stuff and yes, lets correlate it to the pop. changes. Good news is preliminary 2011 census in bengal is showing very minimal pop. growth.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 17 Sep 2011 23:59

According to a recent headlines today report about 30% of the border still remains unfenced.

The population data for Bengal and Assam is discouraging. The illegal prone districts like Murshidabad and Dhubri show a 2% decline
and a 2-3% increase in population. The others are not encouraging either. I think lack of political pressure from the Opposition
has made sure that this is no longer a priority for the UPA.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 18 Sep 2011 00:08

Supratik wrote:According to a recent headlines today report about 30% of the border still remains unfenced.

The population data for Bengal and Assam is discouraging. The illegal prone districts like Murshidabad and Dhubri show a 2% decline
and a 2-3% increase in population. The others are not encouraging either. I think lack of political pressure from the Opposition
has made sure that this is no longer a priority for the UPA.

Supratik boss, 30% might be high, my feeling is 700 of the 3450 is more like 20%. Next c'mon man, its very encouraging. 2% decline is murshidabad in net pop and just 3% increase in dhubri, what more do u want. even normal pop growth is 10% in any part of india if not more like 15%.