New Delhi: In a first, the Border Security Force (BSF) has deployed women personnel in floating border outposts (FBOPs) to guard the India-Bangladesh border. BSF South Bengal Frontier has deployed Mahila Praharis to protect the international border passing through the marshy and inaccessible area surrounded by vast dense forests and rivers.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Amresh Arya, deputy inspector general, BSF (South Bengal) said that securing borders in mighty Sundarbans spread over hundreds of square kilometers along the Indo-Bangladesh border was a challenging task.
He said that the smuggling of cattle, drugs, and infiltration from the region has been a major problem. "As construction of land BOPs is not feasible in the area, BSF maintains round-the-clock vigil through floating BOPs,” he said.
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"This is the first time in the history of BSF that a platoon of Mahila Praharis has been deployed for border patrolling and operation of a floating BOP in difficult terrain like Sunderbans. Their deployment will be especially helpful in preventing smuggling by female smugglers,” he said.
BOP Ganga, one of the six new floating BSF BOPs deployed recently to strengthen vigil in the area, has been entrusted to Mahila Praharis. The brave female BSF soldiers have now taken over the front of border security from this floating BOP and will independently oversee the combat role.
Arya said that 15 to 20 female personnel including one sub-inspector will be present in the FBOPs. "We have 1400 lady personnel in BSF frontiers (south Bengal). Since women personnel are deployed in all sectors, we also came up with the idea of Mahila FBOPs,” he said.
