Nepal expands border surveillance with Chinese cameras near Uttarakhand frontier

Nepal has reportedly begun installing Chinese-made thermal surveillance cameras along sections of the India-Nepal border adjoining Uttarakhand. According to reports, the cameras may be capable of monitoring and recording activities up to 10 kilometres inside Indian territory. The surveillance system is also reportedly expected to operate using a Chinese internet network, drawing attention to its potential operational reach and technical infrastructure.

The project is part of Nepal’s broader effort to modernise border-monitoring infrastructure. Reports indicate that Nepal and China signed agreements involving technical cooperation in 2016, while funding for surveys and technical studies related to surveillance systems was approved in 2019. Locations including Jhulaghat and other border points were surveyed as part of the planned deployment of monitoring equipment.

The expansion of border infrastructure reportedly accelerated after the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura dispute between India and Nepal in 2020. According to the report, Nepal established an Armed Police Force battalion headquarters near Chhangru, built more than 15 border outposts, and has been connecting several of these facilities with thermal cameras and other surveillance technologies.

The India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand stretches for approximately 275 kilometres and passes through Pithoragarh, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts. On the Nepal side, adjoining districts include Darchula, Baitadi, Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur. Reports state that the cameras are designed for long-range day-and-night surveillance and may rely on Chinese communication infrastructure for operation.

According to the report, Indian agencies have strengthened monitoring through digital recording systems at border crossings, enhanced joint patrols by the Sashastra Seema Bal and local police, and the deployment of screening equipment at major crossing points such as Jhulaghat and Dharchula. The report notes that claims regarding the cameras’ ability to monitor up to 10 kilometres inside India and their use of Chinese networks remain reported assertions that would require official verification from Indian and Nepali authorities.