Even as the government is busy implementing its plan of housing for all in the country, there is a growing demand in areas of Jammu bordering Pakistan for immediate construction of underground bunkers so that citizens can take shelter from frequent mortar shelling by Pakistani troops.
As many as 48 people, including civilians, Army and BSF personnel have lost their lives in the past few months due to shelling by Pakistan troops on Indian villages and positions along the International border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC). More than 100 people were injured in the exchange of fire.
The worst affected are the five districts of Jammu division, Kathua, Samba and Jammu on the IB and Rajouri and Poonch on the LoC.
Thirteen people were killed and 65 injured during last week’s shelling by Pakistan on the entire IB and LoC of Jammu thereby creating a war-like situation. More than 95 houses were damaged due to shelling and over 300 cattleheads perished in the past few months’ shelling.
More than 45,000 people had to flee their homes to safe camps established by the authorities. This has become a regular exercise whenever Pakistan indulges in firing. At times they target even primary schools on the Indian side as a result of which more than 300 children in Rajouri district had to be rescued in mobile bunkers by the police during a recent ceasefire violation.
Construction of bunkers was the foremost demand when Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Jammu and places near the LoC a few months ago. The victims of Pakistan firing also demanded individual bunkers next to their homes.
The capacity of the 160 square feet individual bunker is eight people, and that of the 800 square feet community bunker is 40 people. The Centre has sanctioned construction of 14,460 bunkers at a cost of Rs 415.73 crore in the border districts of Jammu division, while 37 bunkers have already been constructed under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in the border blocks of Jammu. Altogether 7298 bunkers would be constructed along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri and 7162 underground bunkers would be constructed along the IB in the three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti recently said construction of bunkers for border residents was not a permanent solution for tackling the menace of Pakistan shelling. Bunkers can save lives of people but what about education of children of these areas that remains suspended for days together when Pakistan indulges in shelling the border areas.
The Centre also released an amount of Rs 1.5 crore under Capex Budget 2017-18 for construction of 100 individual bunkers in convergence mode on pilot basis at Nowshera in Rajouri district.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has also submitted a proposal for construction of 1,499 community bunkers costing Rs 142.40 crore and 19,749 individual bunkers costing Rs 503.41 crore in three border districts of Kashmir division. The proposal has been forwarded to the Home Ministry.
It was proposed that 4918 individual and 372 community bunkers would be constructed in Rajouri, and 3076 individual and 243 community bunkers would come up in Kathua district.
A total of 688 community and 1320 individual bunkers would be constructed in Poonch, Jammu would get 1200 individual and 120 community bunkers, and 2515 individual and eight community bunkers would be constructed in Samba district.
Over 5,000 people living in 23 hamlets along the LoC were forced to leave their houses in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district following heavy firing and shelling a few months ago. J&K shares a 150 km long IB and 740 km of LoC with Pakistan. Most parts of the LoC are mountainous and inhospitable.