The BSF has launched Operation ‘Garam Hawa’ along the Western front to check infiltration and narco-terrorism from across the border in Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat including the Rann of Kutch.Increasing incidents of arms and drug smuggling spurred the BSF to launch the month-long operation, which started on June 16. ‘‘Breaches in the fence were detected at some places and also some camels without riders, loaded with arms, ammunition and drugs were found to have crossed into India from Pakistan,’’ disclosed a senior BSF official.With temperatures touching 55 degree celsius, the burning sands and stressful working conditions were taking a toll on the vigil at the borders. Dwindling deployment made matters worse.‘‘The conditions are the same every summer but this time the strength of BSF deployment was relatively less along the Western borders. The stress has been on J-K and now increasingly along the Eastern borders with Bangladesh. The vigil had become somewhat lax at the Western borders and the region saw a sudden increase in infiltration,’’ sources admitted.And to make up for that, the BSF launched Op Garam Hawa and pumped in over 6,000 men along the borders in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The entire operation was being controlled from Jaisalmer. ‘‘The patrolling has been stepped up, specially during the night. Personnel on camel backs are maintaining a strict vigil in the desert areas. We are laying special emphasis on Rann of Kutch and some riverine stretches along Punjab border since they are the most vulnerable,’’ an official explained.The seizures of arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs in this area had shown some decline last year, compared to 2001, but this year again, the smuggling was on an upswing, sources said.‘‘We can’t afford to take chances. In the last three years, border patrols have detected four tunnels under the fence from the Pakistan side. There have also been cases of fence-cutting. The BSF also recovered sophisticated German-made fence-cutters. A fence is an effective obstacle only if it’s well guarded by people,’’ the official said, making a case for increased deployment along the borders.He said that the BSF had held several flag meetings with Pakistani Rangers on the issue. ‘‘But they always say, and very predictably, that they don’t know anything about it. But it is no secret that they are helping the infiltrators and smugglers,’’ he added.
