All gaps in India’s bordering fencing to be filled by 2022: Amit Shah

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah today said that all gaps in the country's border fencing will be filled by next year to completely stop infiltration and other anti-national activities.

India shares over 15,000 km land border with Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan.

India shares a 4,096 km long border with Bangladesh, of which about 3063.24 km has been fenced.

"If 97 percent border is fenced, then that three percent is part of the problem as it leaves an opportunity for the infiltrators. There is no benefit if there are gaps. I can assure you that there will be no gaps in fencing on the border by 2022," the minister said.

Shah was delivering the Rustamji Memorial Lecture at the Investiture Ceremony organised by the BSF at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

"Nobody wants to leave gaps in the fences. But if on a 200 km long fence you leave a gap of 1.5 km, the entire stretch of the fence becomes useless. We have worked on filling these gaps by removing roadblocks at the administrative level and even spoke to neighbouring countries. Surmounting all difficulties, I assure you that before 2022, there will be no gaps left in our fencing," our New Delhi correspondent reports Shah as saying.

The minister identified infiltration, human trafficking, drugs, arms and cow smuggling, tunnels and drones as big challenges but expressed confidence that forces would tide over them.

"We are ensuring no more tunnels are dug into India from across the border. We are also coming up with new fences which will be very difficult to cut through," Shah added.