Chandigarh: The BSF is alive to the threat of drones in Punjab from across the border with Pakistan and is working to counter it, the force's Director General Pankaj Kumar Singh said here on Wednesday. He was interacting with reporters after inaugurating a new administrative block of the headquarters of Special DG, BSF (Western Command). Senior BSF officers were present on the occasion.
"Drones are an issue, and these come from across the border for all sorts of undesirable activities," Singh said, adding mainly drugs and weapons are being smuggled in like this. On other challenges faced by the BSF, the DG, without naming Pakistan, said attempts are being constantly made to infiltrate people to create disturbance in the country.
"But we have a very elaborate intelligence set up. Combining efforts with different agencies like the state police and the Army, we try to thwart their designs," he added. The BSF guards over 6,300 kilometres of India's border with Pakistan. On the eastern flank of the country, it guards the border with Bangladesh. The total length of Punjab's border with Pakistan is 553 kilometres.
Touching upon the efforts to counter drones and other challenges, Singh said, "We share a long border, and keeping electronic and anti-drone systems at each and every spot probably is not possible. Though it will come with time," he added. The BSF is also coordinating with other agencies, the DG said, adding that he recently met with the Punjab Police chief. "We have formulated a plan along with the Punjab police and it is under implementation," he said.
Asked if drones were a challenge the BSF was facing only in Punjab, the DG said, "Drones are a new paradigm. It is a new challenge that everybody is facing, whether you have these anti-social elements who are smuggling in drugs or criminals who are getting weapons." On modernisation of the force, Singh said, "We are attempting to drop tear gas through drones. We are installing 3-D printers at our central weapons workshop in Tekanpur."
After inauguration of the new administrative block, the BSF DG held a conference attended by officers of the BSF (Western Command), besides the inspector generals of Kashmir, Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat frontiers through video conferencing. (PTI)
