India and Nepal have decided to link more than 8,000 pillars along the 1,700-km-long border the countries share to a Global Navigation Satellite System to step up surveillance, PTI reported. The decision was announced in a statement on Saturday, after the Nepal–India Boundary Working Group concluded its meeting on Friday.

“The BWG meeting reviewed reports submitted before it by the SOC [Survey Officials’ Committee] and Joint Field Survey Teams and appreciated the progress made on the ongoing boundary work carried out at Nepal–India border,” the statement issued after the three-day meet read. While Surveyor General of India Swarna Subba Rao led the Indian team, the Nepalese counterpart was headed by Director General of the Survey Department Krishna Raj BC.

The Ministry of External Affairs of the neighbouring country said the Nepal–India Boundary Global Navigation Satellite System will be used to link the border pillars. “Both delegations reaffirmed the importance of effective boundary management. In this context, they emphasised the importance of making local authorities and people living along the border aware of the field works being conducted by joint field teams,” the statement added.