Guwahati, June 15 (IANS): The Border Security Force (BSF) has introduced yoga and meditation sessions for its personnel manning the India-Bangladesh border as stress busters.

The Guwahati frontier office of the BSF, that monitors the stretch of the international border in Assam and West Bengal, organised a three-day meditation camp at Patgaon, about 30 km west of Guwahati, from June 13.

Fifteen officers and 90 personnel of the BSF and the National Disaster Response Force attended the camp.

"The initiative has been necessitated due to the escalating stress level in the BSF personnel because of very hectic duties and isolation from their families," BSF spokesperson Jitu Deori said.

"It has been observed that these meditation programmes greatly help the personnel of the force to cope with these pressures and also in enhancing their performance and health," Deori said.

India has a 4,096 km long border with Bangladesh of which 262 km are in Assam and 2,217 km in West Bengal.

The yoga programme was initiated as part of the force's golden jubilee celebrations. The BSF was raised on December 1, 1965.

Yoga instructors of Ramakrishna Mission at Azara in Kamrup district helped the BSF in conducting the meditation camp.

The BSF in May gave yoga and meditation training to 56 of its personnel including 16 women, who would act as trainers for other personnel manning the border in difficult conditions.

Deori said the BSF has partnered with Rani Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education for conducting the yoga training.