New Delhi

Aimed at strengthening security and preventing infiltration, India has physically fenced over 93 per cent length of India-Pakistan International Border as well as nearly 79 per cent India-Bangladesh border, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

As per the MHA data, fencing has been completed along 2135.136 kilometres, covering 93.25 per cent of the total 2,289.66 kilometres India-Pakistan International Border.

Shared by the Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to the Lower House of the Parliament, the MHA data mentions that the remaining 154.524 kilometres, or 6.75 per cent, India-Pakistan border is yet to be fenced.

Similarly, the data states, the India-Bangladesh International Border, measuring 4,096.70 kilometres, has fencing along 3,239.92 kilometres, accounting for 79.08 per cent of the border. The remaining 856.778 kilometres, or 20.92 per cent, remains unfenced.

In addition, it further pointed out, progress has been made along the India-Myanmar border, which has a total length of 1,643 kilometres, and "physical fencing has been completed along 9.214 kilometres of this border so far."

The government has stated that border fencing remains a key component of its strategy to curb infiltration and enhance national security.

Rai replied to a query raised by two Trinamool Congress MPs-- Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia and Sharmila Sarkar-- about the area of the border which is not fenced (in kms and as a percentage of the total border).

In total, India has 15,106.7 km of land border and a coastline of 7,516.6 km, including island territories.

India shares its land borders with seven neighbouring countries. To the west, India shares a long land border with Pakistan, which runs through Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, and includes the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the north and northeast, India shares an extensive and sensitive border with China across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, marked by the Line of Actual Control. India also shares an open and friendly border with Nepal along Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim, allowing free movement of people. To the east, India shares borders with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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Bhutan shares a peaceful and strategic border with India through Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, while Bangladesh shares India's longest land border, touching West Bengal and the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Myanmar lies further east and shares its border with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. India also shares a short border with Afghanistan in the northwest through the Wakhan Corridor region.

In addition to land borders, India has maritime boundaries with Sri Lanka, separated by the Palk Strait, and with the Maldives, located to the southwest in the Arabian Sea.