Snakes and crocodiles to guard the river areas along the border with Bangladesh? The proposal, which is highly controversial, would come from the Indian Ministry of the Interior. The Indian forces responsible for monitoring the border between the two countries, the Border Security Force (BSF), have been instructed to study the feasibility of using reptiles to prevent “infiltrations” and “criminal activities,” as reported by The Hindu.
“The use of reptiles is in line with the directives of the Minister of the Interior, Amit Shah,” indicates a message seen by the Indian newspaper dated March 26, sent by the BSF headquarters to all units deployed along the border with Bangladesh. “Several challenges arise… How to obtain the reptiles and what impact could this have on the local population living along the waterways?” a BSF official stated.
A considerable risk for villagers
Large portions of the border with Bangladesh are prone to flooding, and the topography makes it difficult to build fences, as noted by The Hindu. Since these areas are densely populated, using reptiles could pose a considerable risk to villagers on both sides
