Spain-Morocco image on border: Home Ministry orders probe
The image used by the Home Ministry in its annual report was of the Spain-Morocco border, instead of the Indo-Pak border. (Source: panoramio.com) The image used by the Home Ministry in its annual report was of the Spain-Morocco border, instead of the Indo-Pak border. (Source: panoramio.com)
The Union Home Ministry has ordered an internal probe into the use of a picture of the Spain-Morocco border to show floodlighting at the Indian border, ANI has reported.
Under the section which talked about the work done and pending with respect to floodlighting on the India-Pakistan border in the Home Ministry’s annual report, the photograph was shown with the misleading caption that said “floodlighting along the border” with no mention of the Spain-Morocco border suggesting that the picture was of the Indian border.
After the gaffe was reported, higher-ups in the Home Ministry sprung into action. Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has said that if the ministry finds a mistake they will apologise for it. “If there is a mistake, we will apologise,” Mehrishi sad.
A screenshot of the border picture from the Home Ministry’s annual report 2016-17. A screenshot of the border picture from the Home Ministry’s annual report 2016-17.
The Spain-Morocco land border runs along the Plazas de soberanía, Ceuta, Melilla and Alborán Island located near the north coast of Morocco. Melilla’s physical border, called the Melilla border fence, appears similar to the Indo-Pakistan border under floodlighting.
Home Ministry officials are trying to find out how the picture was sourced and why was it used. India’s borders are guarded mostly by the Border Security Forces. India’s boundary is porous at many places and prone to infiltration. That is the reason the government is on a drive to install floodlights across the entire length of the border.
The report stated that along the 2,308 km long border, floodlighting has been sanctioned for 2,043.76 km and work has been completed along 1,943.76 km. Restoration of floodlighting is also being carried out along 75.6km of the border.
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