The Border Security Force is planning to install the tallest national flag near the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post by January next year. At 350 ft, the flag post will be visible from both from Lahore and Amritsar, which are located about 18 km away from the international border, top BSF official Ashok Kumar Yadav said. The move is part of the BSF’s plans to expand the visitors’ gallery at the location, The Indian Express reported.
This flag will have to be proportionately sized at that height, which will also make it the largest tricolour, Yadav, who is the officiating Inspector General of BSF’s Punjab Frontier, said. The flag’s mast will be installed on a raised platform at the border, taking extreme weather conditions into consideration, Senior Public Relations Officer of BSF Deputy Inspector General RS Kataria said, adding that CCTV cameras will be set up around it. The material to be used for the structure is being debated, officials said.
The tallest national flag at present is 293-ft-high, located in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar hoisted this 66x99-ft flag in January.
To regulate the huge turnout at the Wagah border for the iconic Beating Retreat ceremony by security forces of both India and Pakistan, the BSF is planning to make seats available online. Hundreds of tourists are turned away daily as a result of inadequate seating capacity, Yadav said, adding that the visitors’ gallery at Attari has a seating capacity of around 7,000, which is expected to go up to 20,000. The online booking facility will allow them to plan their visit with confirmed seats, he said.
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