Indian rivers will soon be swarming with ferocious crocodiles and poisonous snakes as part of a government crackdown on illegal migration.
The deadly reptiles will serve as a “biological barrier” to prevent infiltration along the country’s border with Bangladesh.
Local media said an internal memo sent by the Border Security Force on March 26 asked field units to assess the plan from an “operational perspective.”
The document reportedly said the plan was “in line with the instructions of Home Minister Amit Shah”.
The units were also asked to identify “dark or no-signal areas” where additional border security measures may be required.
Since 2014 the government has been struggling to fence the 2,500-mile border.
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But about 530 miles in Assam, West Bengal, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya are not protected.
Fifty-four rivers stretch across the border, a network that includes the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Kushiyara.
And large sections of the border are almost impossible to defend due to marshy conditions and floods.
This means that many fences have become weak or broken due to the terrain.
The Indian government has invested in other imaginative solutions to secure its border.
Drones, infrared night vision and sniffer dogs have been deployed on the border.
India has long been trying to manage immigration from neighboring Bangladesh – a divisive issue for the government.
The country began fencing the border in 1986, after ten million refugees crossed the border following the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a tough stance against immigration since his election in 2014.
Undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims have been targeted, with many reportedly deported without proper legal process.
Some also alleged that they were blindfolded and left in the jungle to be taken to Bangladesh.
Leaders at both the state and national levels have defined migrants as “infiltrators” from Bangladesh who threaten India’s identity.
Anti-immigration rhetoric intensified after 26 Hindu tourists were killed by gunmen in Kashmir last April.
Police blamed the “terrorist attack” on militants fighting Indian rule.
Modi described the shooting as a “heinous act” and vowed that the attackers “will be brought to justice.”
There was a sharp increase in deportations of Bengali Muslims, despite many having valid Indian citizenship.
