Inside BSF's mega smart fencing drive to secure India-Bangladesh border in Bengal
Border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal has gathered pace after the state government handed over land to the Border Security Force (BSF)
Border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal has gathered pace after the state government handed over land to the Border Security Force (BSF), with work underway on what is being developed as a smart surveillance corridor across some of the most infiltration-prone stretches of the international boundary. The project comes amid the Centre's renewed focus on border security, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserting that no infiltrator would be allowed to enter West Bengal. Following the transfer of land, the BSF has accelerated construction of border fencing in vulnerable sectors, particularly in Murshidabad, Malda and the Sundarbans. Read Full Story India Today's ground visits to the border areas showed heavy construction activity, with BSF personnel overseeing work alongside Central Public Works Department (CPWD) engineers. JCB machines and construction teams were erecting a 12-foot-high single-layer smart fence in Murshidabad's Jalangi sector, long considered one of the most vulnerable stretches for illegal infiltration.
Engineers were assembling the fencing structure with reinforced fittings while work progresses under BSF supervision. The fencing is being designed as a high-security barrier integrated with surveillance systems rather than a conventional border fence. The Centre plans to equip the smart fencing with high-resolution CCTV cameras, thermal imagers, night-vision devices, drones, sensor-based alert systems, command-and-control centres and a real-time monitoring network. The integrated surveillance architecture is intended to ensure that suspicious movement is detected immediately and quick reaction teams can be deployed without delay. Residents living near the border said they expect the fencing to curb illegal crossings from Bangladesh and strengthen security in the area. According to the land allocation plan, West Bengal has transferred 1,024.75 acres of land to the BSF across nine border districts for fencing covering 172.6 km of the India-Bangladesh border. Murshidabad has received the largest allocation, with 337 acres earmarked for 45.4 km of fencing.
North 24 Parganas has been allocated 241.03 acres for 42.07 km, while Cooch Behar has received 135.33 acres for 39.39 km. Malda has been allotted 176.78 acres for 20.15 km, Nadia 95.11 acres for 14.79 km, South Dinajpur 26.41 acres for 7.75 km, Darjeeling 4.31 acres for 1.45 km, North Dinajpur 6.61 acres for 1.28 km, and Jalpaiguri 2.17 acres for 0.31 km. Beyond Murshidabad and Malda, another major focus is the Sundarbans, where the geography presents one of the toughest border management challenges. The region's maze of mangrove forests, narrow creeks, tidal channels and marshland has historically made ground patrolling difficult and created opportunities for infiltration and smuggling through waterways. A nearly 90-km smart fencing project has been planned for this sensitive stretch, extending beyond the Shamshernagar sector. Alongside the fencing, BSF maintains constant vigil using speed boats and eight floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) deployed across the waterways.
The BriefWire