India has put in place high-tech solutions to reduce cross-border cattle smuggling along its border with Bangladesh, a top official of the Border Security Force (BSF) said, informing that a new ‘anti-cut, anti climb’ fencing has been installed at several places along the  4,000 km border. 

“BSF has taken a lot of measures to stop cattle smuggling in the past three-four years. The BSF has introduced more updated technical devices to look after the situation,” Pankaj Kumar Singh, the director-general of the BSF, was quoted by ANI news agency on Friday.

“Strategy is very clear that we do not allow any smuggling including cattle along the international border,” added Singh, who was on a tour this week of northern Bengal. 

On the BSF's relations with the local state police, he said they enjoy excellent cooperation from the state police. Earlier, the BSF was responsible for guarding an area up to 15 km from the international border. The government, however, recently, increased this limit to 50 km, drawing protests from some state governments, including West Bengal. 

Singh claimed the BSF is facing no problem on the ground. 

Of the total 4096 km of the border that India shares with Bangladesh, 85 percent is fenced. West Bengal in the east alone shares a 2216 border with Bangladesh; the rest of the border is shared with India's northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. Roughly 110 km of the border in West Bengal remains without fencing. 

Illegal trade across the border involves the smuggling of tens of thousands of cattle from India, with the involvement of criminals with local political  and even police support on both sides. 

But, over the last few years, cattle smuggling has come down significantly, as the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it a priority issue as the ruling BJP holds the cow sacred.  

(SAM)