Over 100 bunkers at LOC to save families from Pak shelling
Each of the familytype bunkers in Rajouri district has the capacity to accommodate 10 persons
JAMMU: Authorities in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir have completed construction of 102 family-type bunkers along the Line of Control (LOC) in the wake of frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
“Each bunker has a capacity to accommodate 10 persons for long-term and 12 to 16 persons for short-term. Thus, about 1,200 persons can take shelter during the emergency situation,” district development commissioner of Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.
He said the bunkers have been completed in various villages along LOC. “The technical design of the bunker withstands the kind of weaponry frequently used by Pakistan in ceasefire violations,” Choudhary said.
The LOC runs through a 120-km stretch in the district across 72 villages in six tehsils. Nearly 22 villages are easy targets of Pakistani shelling. He said the bunkers were started last year with an innovative model of convergence with MGNREGA and community participation.
“The project cost for one unit was pegged at ~2.40 lakh, out of which ~90,000 was dovetailed from MGNREGA, while ~1.50 lakh was provided under Capex budget,” he said.
Choudhary said the bunkers have been constructed in several villages of Nowsher sub-division which include Jhangar, Kalsian, Danaka, Sarya, Laroka, Sair, Makdi, Namb and Kadali.
Chief secretary BB Vyas frequently reviewed the progress and extended prompt financial support to the project after his visit to Nowshera later last year, Choudhary said.
He said the district administration has further endeavoured to construct bunkers in Manjakote, Panjgrain and Doongi where recently ceasefire violations were reported.
More than 4,500 people migrated to relief camps in Nowshera town in May 2017 due to heavy shelling from the Pakistani side, which killed eight civilians and damaged over 170 houses.
In view of the success of the pilot project, Choudhary said more such bunkers will be constructed as per sanction of the Union ministry of home affairs. “This will include more than 5,000 family-type bunkers and 370 community bunkers,” he said.
The Centre has given the green signal for the construction of 14,460 bunkers at a cost of ~415.73 crore to save civilians along the LOC and International Border from Pakistani shelling, he said.
THE PROJECT COST FOR BUILDING EACH BUNKER WAS PEGGED AT ~2.40 LAKH