Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 27: In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, during which the Pakistan Army targeted unarmed civilians in border areas, leading to the deaths of several innocent people, the Jammu and Kashmir government has submitted a comprehensive survey to the Union Government seeking approval for the construction of new individual and community bunkers for residents living along the Indo-Pak International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC). The proposed bunkers are planned across Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri, and Poonch districts of the Jammu region, which remain highly vulnerable to cross-border shelling. Official sources said that a fresh ground survey was conducted after Operation Sindoor, and its findings have been forwarded to the Union Government for necessary action. India shares a 3,323-kilometre-long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the International Border and 744 km of the Line of Control fall within Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, during 2018–19, t The proposed bunkers are planned across Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri, and Poonch districts of the Jammu region. A fresh ground survey was conducted after Operation Sindoor, and its findings have been forwarded to the Union Government for necessary action. India shares a 3,323-kilometre-long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the International Border and 744 km of the LoC within Jammu and Kashmir. e Centre had sanctioned the construction of 14,460 individual and community bunkers at a cost of ₹415.73 crore for border residents affected by Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the IB. Of these, 7,298 bunkers were approved for villages along the LoC in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, while 7,162 underground bunkers were sanctioned for villages along the IB in Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts. Subsequently, the government approved over 4,000 additional bunkers to extend coverage to more vulnerable areas, including parts of north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara districts. According to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, around 9,500 bunkers have been constructed so far along the India–Pakistan border in the Union Territory. These bunkers proved to be lifesaving during the recent spell of intense Pakistani shelling last month, significantly reducing human casualties, even though extensive damage was caused to residential structures and livestock. |