BSF to replace obsolete patrol boats with water scooters

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

The Border Security Force (BSF) will induct water scooters, largely associated with sports and recreational activities, into its water wing to patrol river stretches and other water bodies along the international borders.

Fast and highly maneuverable, the water scooters are expected to replace some of the obsolete patrol boats.

“Both 2-man as well as 3-man models are being considered and technical specifications and operational requirements for the same were drawn up by an expert committee at the BSF Headquarters last week,” a senior officer said. 

Riverine and densely vegetated stretches along the courses of the Ravi and Sutlej in Punjab, which criss-cross the international border, remain highly vulnerable to infiltration and cross-border smuggling. These stretches cannot be fenced due to the vagaries of the terrain, making them difficult to guard.

The Border Security Force has identified over 40 such points along the western border. It is believed that the perpetrators of the terror attacks at Gurdaspur and Pathankot had sneaked in through such unfenced gaps. 

“The first priority would be to deploy the new equipment at places in Punjab which have a higher threat perception than coastal areas such as the Rann of Kutch,” the officer said. Other areas of deployment are the Sunderbans and stretches of the Ganga and Brahmaputra in the east. 

The BSF is looking at water scooters as a force multiplier that can used for multifarious tasks such as special operations, patrolling, interception and reinforcement in water bodies. The BSF wants scooters that can speed up to 45 knots (85 kmph) and operate in waters as shallow as two feet and in narrow crevices where conventional motor boats cannot go.

At present, the Border Security Force’s water wing has a fleet of 455 vessels that includes speed boats, inflatable rafts, patrol boats and other specialised crafts of various types and sizes.