India’s Camel Patrol Fights Sand, Smugglers

The relentless wind is on the side of guerrillas and smugglers hoping to sneak across the border fence that separates India’s desert state of Rajasthan from Pakistan.

The hot air piles up small mountains of sand over the top of the wire fence, or carves gaps underneath. Intruders can walk over the barrier or crawl underneath it.

Every day, the men of the Border Security Force patrol on camels along the fence, looking for footprints.

With towels tied around their heads and dust covers pulled down over gun barrels and canteens, the guards set out across the waves of beige sand, trying to track down anyone who has crossed in the night from Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of condoning infiltration by gun smugglers and militants. Pakistan, with an equally porous border of its own to guard, denies the charge.

Pairs of soldiers, with eight quarts of water between them, spend 12 hours a day at outposts along the fence. They peer across the sand with binoculars, or lie down under flimsy straw huts, aiming their machine guns into the shimmering brown haze.

When the day ends, they strip to shorts and undershirts and clean their guns with water, which is boiled so it doesn’t crack the hot metal. Then they sleep. There is no time, or energy, for recreation, and nothing else to do.

Camels are used for patrolling because they can survive for long periods without water. Border Security Force tanker trucks bring water to the Murar Post from Jaisalmer, 95 miles away.

In emergencies, the 25 soldiers at Murar share water with villagers and with stray dogs, which follow the soldiers, burrowing into the sand next to their outposts to keep cool.

“It was a great difficulty for us when we arrived here,” said trooper Ram Kumar. “It is still very difficult to stand guard near the fencing, as there is no greenery, and just hot gusts of wind carrying sand.”

The soldiers eventually get used to it.

The 465-mile fence, built three years ago, has reduced intrusions because smugglers’ camels have a harder time crossing the wire. But intruders still have the edge because there is no electricity to light up the fence at night or to electrify it.

“We have a generator for emergencies,” said one guard, Purshotam Lal Tewari. “But it works only for two, three hours. It should be maintained properly.”