India completes 9-km border fencing at Manipur's Moreh to enhance security
Road construction parallel to the fence is underway;
Moreh, Jan 2: The Centre has successfully completed a 9.214 km-long border fencing project at Moreh, a key trade hub along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur. This initiative aims to bolster security and curb illegal cross-border activities, as detailed in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Annual Report for 2023-2024.
According to the MHA report, construction of a road parallel to the completed fence is currently in progress. Additionally, two pilot projects featuring a hybrid surveillance system, each covering 1 km in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, have been awarded to Assam Rifles, with work underway. In February 2024, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was assigned the construction of a 20.862 km fence and road, and this project is also in progress.
Out of the total 1,643 km border, 1,472 km have been demarcated. The ongoing fencing and surveillance projects aim to address long-standing security concerns, facilitate legal trade, and ensure the socio-economic development of the northeastern states.
The India-Myanmar border spans 1,643 km across the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km), and Mizoram (510 km).
In December 2024, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) intensified fencing efforts near Moreh in Manipur's Tengnoupal district along the 398 km India-Myanmar border. This initiative, part of a broader plan to fence the entire 1,643 km porous border at an estimated cost of ₹31,000 crore, aims to combat the smuggling of arms, ammunition, and narcotics.
The India-Myanmar border stretches 1,643 km across four Northeastern states - Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
While Manipur supports the Centre's plan to fence the border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR), Mizoram and Nagaland have staunchly opposed it.
On February 28, 2024, Mizoram, which shares a 510-km border with Myanmar's Chin state, became the first Northeastern state to pass a resolution opposing the fencing and FMR withdrawal. Nagaland followed suit in March 2024, with its Assembly also rejecting the Centre's move.
