A  large number of border residents in frontier districts of Poonch and Rajouri continue to face the brunt of  firing from across the border in the absence of bunkers in the close vicinity of their homes, falling in the direct line of fire of roaring Pak guns.

A total of 4,696 individual and 335 community bunkers were sanctioned  in Rajouri and 1,320 individual and 688 community bunkers in Poonch district for the safety of the border residents during cross border shelling. 

In the beginning of December 2018,  the Union Home Ministry had even decided to bear the extra cost of constructing  these bunkers as  contractors had refused to start work on ground zero in the absence of completion of tender process.

According to official sources, “construction of bunkers was started at several places but it is going on at snails’ pace”. As there is no let up from the Pakistani side unhappy border residents are running for cover and pressurising district authorities to prioritise construction of bunkers at fast speed.

As several houses in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch were hit by mortars fired by the Pakistan army during fresh escalation of border tension late Tuesday night  large number of people from the area relocated to safer places on Wednesday to ensure their safety.

They blamed the local authorities for ignoring their safety concerns and leaving them at the mercy of God in the wake of mounting tensions along the LoC.

As the intensity of Pakistan army firing increased with the induction of artillery firing late Tuesday evening Indian army too upped the ante to give them a befitting reply.