AGARTALA, September 27 (TIWN) :Barbed wire construction agencies engaged in the Tripura-Bangla frontiers –proposed alternate fencing patterns with additional provisions of constructions in areas having water-bodies large enough to leave the usual double row fencing useless.“We have found that the traditional double-row barbed wire fencing that we are erecting in the border with Bangladesh have breach possibilities since they cross few rivers and small but fast rivulets, especially in Dhalai and North Tripura districts. The construction agencies proposed additional provisions to be allowed in the construction patterns by making culverts and sluice-gates in such cases to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). There is no word from the centre yet”, a source in the state government said.

The source further said that upon request from the state government, the barbed wire construction agencies constructed a few culverts but they still had empty holes beneath which posed threat of illegal and unnoticed intrusion.
“We asked them (construction agencies) to attach obstructions like fence or iron rods to obstruct the space inside the culverts but over the years, even before barbed wire fence erection was over, these obstructions are useless. This calls for central policy intervention”, the source quipped.
An official inside one of the barbed wire construction agencies today said that Tripura has already got over 500 culverts in different districts till date. 216 among them are in the Khowai district alone, 163 in Noth Tripura district while the usually distant and hilly Dhalai district is reported to have 24 culverts.
The state still has 18 major gaps in the barbed wire fence in areas where the river was too long along the international border to be crossed by the barbed wire fence, a separate top source in the government informed.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sanctioned barbed wire erection in 816.95 Km area in the Indo-Bangla international border out of which work was completed in 695 Km till August this year.