J&K Govt plans to build more bunkers in border districts

In the wake of the recent Indo-Pak conflict that left several homes and structures damaged across Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu districts, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to construct additional bunkers for residents in the border areas.

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In addition to Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu, the districts of Kathua and Samba—both located along the International Border (IB)—will also receive new bunkers to be used during emergencies. Currently, around 10,000 individual and community bunkers exist across these five districts.

Officials said the respective district administrations are expected to submit fresh proposals for additional bunkers in their areas. Notably, Poonch town—which is not located directly on the Line of Control (LoC)—is also likely to receive bunkers, as it was targeted with artillery shelling during the recent confrontation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Poonch last month, had assured residents that more bunkers would be built in the border districts. Work on assessing the damages in these areas is in its final stages, after which compensation will be disbursed to the affected families. Some residents whose homes were damaged in the shelling have already received partial compensation.

While bunkers were previously sanctioned only for villages situated near the LoC and IB, officials now plan to extend coverage to areas that fall within the effective range of Pakistani artillery.

During his visit to Katra on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced additional compensation of Rs 2 lakh for those whose houses were completely destroyed and Rs 1 lakh for those with partially damaged homes.

For years, residents of Rajouri and Poonch have demanded individual bunkers, citing the lack of privacy and poor living conditions in community bunkers—especially during prolonged ceasefire violations, when entire families are forced to stay in these shelters for days at a stretch. Thousands of residents from the twin districts had migrated to Jammu and other safer locations during the recent hostilities.

Once the proposals are submitted by the district administrations to the UT, they will be forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs for final approval.