How India will monitor its border with Pakistan with this exclusive satellite
New Delhi, Jan 18: A satellite will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) exclusively for the Home Ministry to help it further strengthen its frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh among others, according to an official statement.
The
move
is
part
of
recommendations
made
by
a
task
force
on
the
use
of
space
technology
in
improving
border
management
which
have
been
accepted
by
Home
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
To
execute
the
project
in
a
time
bound
manner,
a
short,
medium
and
long-term
plan
has
been
proposed
for
implementation
in
five
years
in
close
coordination
with
the
ISRO
and
the
Defence
Ministry.
"Major recommendations of the report are to build capacity in border guarding forces to use space resources for security, operational planning and border infrastructure development," the statement issued by the Home Ministry said.
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In short term, immediate needs of border guarding forces will be met by procurement of high resolution imagery and hiring of bandwidth for communications, it said.
"In mid-term, one satellite is being launched by the ISRO for exclusive use of the MHA," the statement said.
Over the long term, the MHA will develop ground segment and network infrastructure to share satellite resources by user agencies, develop a central archival facility for storing various imagery resources and dissemination of the same to user agencies, it said.
"Deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces in remote areas will be also coordinated by satellite communications. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-based GPS will provide navigation facilities for operational parties in high altitude, remote and difficult borders and Naxal areas," the Home Ministry said.
The
Border
Security
Force
(BSF)
has
been
designated
as
lead
agency
for
implementation
of
ground
segment
and
network
infrastructure,
including
establishment
of
archival
facility,
it
said.
India
shares
land
borders
with
Pakistan,
China,
Bangladesh,
Nepal,
Bhutan
and
Myanmar.
With the assistance of the Department of Space, the Ministry of Home Affairs would implement the project, the statement said.
"This project will strengthen island and border security and facilitate development of infrastructure in border/island areas," it said.
The Home Minister has approved report of the task force created by the MHA to identify areas for use of space technology in improving border management, the statement said.
The task force headed by Joint Secretary (Border Management), having members from the BSF, the Department of Space and BM division of the Home Ministry, consulted all stakeholders including border guarding forces, the ISRO, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the Ministry of Defence to finalise the report.
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Island development, border security, communication and navigation, Geographic Information System (GIS) and operations planning system, and border infrastructure development are the areas identified for use of space technology, it added.