“Laser Walls” On The India-Pakistan Border

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The India-Pakistan border is one of the most dangerous and volatile stretches of land in the world. More than half of India’s 1,000,000 and Pakistan’s 600,000 troops are deployed along the border, and localised flare-ups of violent confrontation are a semi-regular occurrence.

India is now seeking to fortify and secure this porous stretch of land, and they’re going remarkable hi-tech. In the past, barbed wire, camera, and even animals have been tried, all with little success. Now, it’s the turn of lasers – specifically, laser walls set up to “plug the porous riverine and treacherous terrain and keep an effective vigil against intruders and terrorists,” reports the government backed Press Trust of India.

PTI states that 45 laser “walls” will be installed in Punjab state that will beam across rivers, cliffs, hills and will set off alarms in case someone tries to cross the border.

Eight infrared and laser beam intrusion detection systems are already operational, reports the Indian Express, along vulnerable and sensitive stretches of the border. Four more will come online in the coming days.

“The laser walls have started working and their functioning is being monitored. Preliminary results in detecting illegal movements are encouraging,” the senior BSF official said.

The laser walls will be under the purview of the Border Security Force (BSF), which is in charge of border control in Punjab, as well as Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jammu, and Gujarat.

The project has been two years in the making, after previous trials with barbed wire fencing were foiled due to “treacherous terrain or marshy riverine topography,” the Indian Express relates.

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