With shelling and firing along the loC and International Border increasing, border dwellers are demanding construction of civilian bunkers for safety of those who are reluctant to shift.
In December last year, the Centre had decided to construct community bunkers along International Border and loC for being used during shelling and firing by Pak. “When there was firing and shelling and we were forced to flee, Government had promised to build community bunkers in our hamlets and give us plots of land in safer places. But when we will see them,” asked Disha Devi, a resident of Pallanwala of Akhnoor tehsil.
“We have not seen those bunkers. Government should have fast-tracked the process to build the bunkers, which we could use now,” she said, while noting that fear psychosis is prevailing along the border hamlets.
For people living along the loC and the IB, the migration to Government-run community centres at safer places has been an annual feature because of heavy Pakistani shelling and firing. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, border dwellers fled to safer areas to escape heavy shelling in which several people died and scores of people were injured besides casualties suffered by the cattle.