‘Fear part of our lives now, high time for individual bunkers: Border residents urge J&K govt

Srinagar, May 13: Amid persistent threats from cross-border shelling and ceasefire violations, border residents in Jammu and Kashmir have renewed their demand for the construction of individual bunkers to safeguard their lives in times of crisis. Responding to the growing concern, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated that his government will compile a detailed report and submit it to the Government of India for urgent implementation.
“There is a massive demand from our border residents for individual bunkers to ensure their safety during times of heightened tension,” CM Omar said after meeting the shelling affected people of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “We are committed to the protection of LoC residents and will prepare a comprehensive proposal about individual bunkers for the Centre to expedite the same on a fast-track basis.”
In the remote Karnah sector of Kupwara district, residents say they feel abandoned during firing incidents. “Every time there is shelling, we are forced to flee our homes and take shelter in open fields or schools. We need individual bunkers at our doorsteps, not temporary relief,” said Shakeel Ahmad, a schoolteacher from Khawarpora village.
In Tangdhar, another forward area in Kupwara, 70-year-old Fatima Begum recounted terrifying night of May 7 and May 8 when shells rained on their village. “We cannot sleep in peace. At my age, running to a community shelter is impossible. A small concrete bunker near my house would mean life or death,” she said.
Similar fears echoed from Keran, a heavily militarised area abutting the LoC. “We have seen shells land barely metres away from our homes. What are we supposed to do—wait for tragedy?” asked Javid Lone, a local shopkeeper. “This is not just a demand, it’s a necessity.”
In Uri, Baramulla district, which has repeatedly witnessed intense shelling over the past decade, residents said the state must prioritise their safety. “We pay the price of peace being disturbed at the border. Bunkers are not a luxury; they are the only guarantee of survival during escalations,” said Parveen Akhtar, a mother of three from Salamabad Uri.
While community bunkers have been constructed in some areas under centrally sponsored schemes, the demand for individual family bunkers has gained urgency for the recent deadly exchange of heavy and small arms between the armies of India and Pakistan. Kashmir’s border residents have borne the brunt with scores of houses turned into ashes. Many say the existing facilities are either too far, too few, or not maintained.
Ghulam Mustafa, a former Sarpanch from Karnah, while speaking to Rising Kashmir, said that he has seen 1971 war and deadly cross-LoC shelling from 2000 onwards. “I have seen my relatives’ loosing limbs and arms. Many of our family members and relatives have lost lives to shelling. The recent exchange of fire was the worst ever,” he said. “It is high time now that the government should construct individual bunkers on a fast-track basis. Roofs of these bunkers should be shell-proof as we have seen shells pierced through concrete slabs turned houses to rubble.”
CM Omar’s announcement is seen as a glimmer of hope, but residents insist that action must follow words. “We have been hearing promises for years. This time, we hope the government truly listens,” said Mohammad Shafi from Garkote, Uri.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had previously sanctioned thousands of individual and community bunkers for the J&K border residents. CM Omar’s initiative, if implemented, could mark a turning point for border security and civilian protection in Kashmir Valley’s vulnerable frontier regions.