Chandigarh, Oct 9 (IANS): To strengthen security at international borders, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday cleared the project of flood protection in border areas to protect border outposts along the India-Pakistan boundary fencing at a cost Rs 176.29 crore.

Chairing a meeting of the state flood control board here, the Chief Minister said the government has been repeatedly getting requests from the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army to protect border outposts.

He said the sites are affected by flood waters of the Ravi, the Sutlej and the Ujh rivers, adding in the past limited state funds had to be diverted to protect defence installations of national importance.

However, Mann said given the national security aspect of these works, the government has conceived a project costing Rs 176.29 crore for 28 sites in the state.

The Chief Minister said flood protection works in the border areas are of utmost importance to protect posts in the wake of national security. He said international boundary fencing and other defence infrastructure have been already established across the border.

Mann said now the need of the hour is to strengthen the flood protection works so that the security of the country is not compromised.

The Chief Minister said in the project the sites have been jointly identified with the Indian Army and would fall in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.

Mann said the work would be carried out on 8.695.27 hectares. Out of 28 sites, seven are in Ferozepur, 11 are in Amritsar, three are in Tarn Taran, five are in Gurdaspur and two are in Pathankot.

The Chief Minister said as part of this project, 1,788 feet of embankment is proposed in Tarn Taran district, 1,050 feet in Ferozepur district and 2,875 feet in Gurdaspur district.