FRESH ASSESSMENT
The Union Home Ministry’s move to seek a fresh assessment of bunker requirements in Jammu and Kashmir’s border areas reflects a sobering lesson drawn from recent hostilities. Operation Sindhoor, marked by unprecedented Pakistani shelling of civilian zones, exposed both the vulnerability of border populations and the critical role protective infrastructure plays in preventing displacement and loss of life.
Ground-level surveys by District Magistrates, guided by vulnerability, population density and shelling range, indicate a more calibrated approach than in the past.
The emphasis on a mix of community bunkers in densely populated areas and individual bunkers in sparsely inhabited villages acknowledges the diverse demographic realities along the International Border and the Line of Control. Importantly, experience has shown that villages with functional bunkers largely avoided migration, preserving social stability even under fire.
However, the exercise also highlights long-standing gaps. Many existing bunkers, built with limited funds and without maintenance provisions, have deteriorated some further damaged by recent heavy rainfall. The need to seek additional funds not only for new construction but also for restoration underlines the absence of a sustainable lifecycle approach to such critical infrastructure.
