River erosion hampering Bangla border vigil

BSF forced to shift outposts frequently, crimils taking full advantage, cattle smuggling on the rise

BY OUR BUREAU

GUWAHATI, Aug 28: Rampant land erosion by the mighty Brahmaputra is creating great difficulties for BSF jawans when it comes to patrolling the Indo-Bangla border. Due to the erosion problem, the BSF often has to change their border outposts (BOPs). The problem is especially severe in char areas.

Mahamaya Char is one such badly affected char areas where the BSF has shifted its BOPs 14 times recently. Sources in BSF said frequent shifting of BOPs hampers border vigilance to a great extent and anti-social elements from across the border always try to take advantage of it.

The sources further stated that rise in jehadi activities in Bangladesh is a matter of serious concern and there will not be any compromise in border security.

However, Sudhir Kumar Srivastava, DIG, Guwahati Frontier, BSF, who is also in-charge of the 500-km border area including Dhubri, Mankachar, Koochbehar and Falakata sector, told a team of reporters recently that crimil activities have decreased considerably along the intertiol border due to heightened vigil.

Srivastava also said huge number of cattle is caught almost on a regular basis by the BSF while these animals are being smuggled from India to Bangladesh. But he admitted that it is very difficult to prevent the supply of cattle to Bangladesh at night.

The BSF, Guwahati Frontier, prevented a total of 37,669 cattle from being smuggled to Bangladesh from January 1 to July 31 this year. A total of 101 miscreants including 82 Indians and 19 Bangladeshis were also caught by the border guarding forces.