Jammu:  Flash floods triggered by heavy rains are threatening the three-tier border fencing along the Indo-Pak International Border and have caused minor damage to a section of the fencing in Jammu frontier belt, officials said.

Heavy rains have caused flash floods in various rivers along the border, threatening the border fencing in Samba-Kathua-Jammu belt, they said.

A senior BSF officer told PTI that parts of the fence in Basantar river area are likely to get washed away. “It is 150 to 200 metres of patch. There was partial damage to it. If there is more flooding, it will cause complete damage to the fence and to the adjoining village in Ramgarh.”

“Efforts are being made to repair the damage,” he said.

He said no post has suffered damage and jawans were keeping vigil along the border.

He said some troops are stationed across the river. “They are self-contained. They have everything with them. They do not cross over to this side. It is dangerous to bring them on this side. The regular movements are going on,” he added.

In 2012, the BSF had repaired and reconstructed over 700-800 metres of fencing, along the border in Samba district, which were damaged by torrential rains and floods.

Parts of the three-tier border fencing along IB were washed away in Nursery-Bandstop forward belt of Ramgarh sub-sector of Samba district due to flash floods in Basantar river.

Nearly 190 km of the border along the IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts is fenced to stop cross-border infiltration and smuggling of narcotics and weapons from Pakistan.

Press Trust of India