India plans to spend nearly $3.7 billion to fence its 1,610-km (1,000-mile) porous border with Myanmar within about a decade, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter, to prevent smuggling and other illegal activities.
The centre had said earlier this year it would fence the border and end a decades-old visa-free movement policy with coup-hit Myanmar for border citizens for reasons of national security and to maintain the demographic structure of its northeastern region.
A government committee earlier this month approved the cost for the fencing, which needs to be approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, said the source who declined to be named as they were not authorised to talk to the media.
The prime minister's office and the ministries of home, finance, foreign affairs and information and broadcasting did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Myanmar has so far not commented on India's fencing plans.
Since a military coup in Myanmar in 2021, thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops have fled from there to Indian states where people on both sides share ethnic and familial ties.
This has worried New Delhi because of risk of communal tensions spreading to India.
Some members of the government have also blamed the porous border for abetting the tense situation in Manipur, abutting Myanmar.
For nearly a year, Manipur has been witnessing violence between two ethnic groups, one of which shares lineage with Myanmar's Chin tribe.
The committee of senior Indian officials also agreed to build parallel roads along the fence and 1,700 km (1,050 miles) of feeder roads connecting military bases to the border, the source said.
The fence and the adjoining road will cost nearly 125 million rupees per km, more than double that of the 55 million per km cost for the border fence with Bangladesh built in 2020, the source said, because of the difficult hilly terrain and the use of technology to prevent intrusion and corrosion.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Thousands Await Dream Home In Greater Noida
India To Fence Entire 1,643-Km Border With Myanmar, Construct Patrol Track: Amit Shah Border Roads Organisation To Fence Major Portion Of India-Myanmar Border: Top Official "Will Discuss With States": Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister On Myanmar Fence Video: Rahul Gandhi Approaches BJP MP Who Fell During Protest, This Happens People Seeking Justice For Atul Subhash Chase Rahul Gandhi. He Does This Husband Found Guilty In France Mass Rape Trial That Shocked The World US Man Shares How He Got Promotion, Raise Months After Joining Google Government Auditor Confirms NDTV's Findings On Madhya Pradesh Ration 'Scam' Body Of Class 11 Girl Found Hanging In Hostel Bathroom In Odisha Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.