Nearly a year after Operation Sindoor, border villages still await civilian bunkers

Workers construct bunkers near the India-Pakistan border, in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district. (File photo)

• Border villages in J&K await permanent civilian bunkers after Operation Sindoor
• Over 500 bunkers sanctioned for Uri, construction set for April 2026
• Bunker coverage remains limited, leaving residents exposed to shelling risks

Did our AI summary help?

Nearly a year after Operation Sindoor, border villages in Jammu and Kashmir that bore the brunt of Pakistani shelling continue to wait for permanent civilian bunkers, with local representatives reportedly alleging that post-operation assurances have not translated into action on the ground.

Several legislators from affected areas said there has been no visible progress in bunker construction in regions such as Poonch and Uri, which witnessed civilian casualties during the hostilities, states a Times of India report.

Sajjad Shafi, MLA from Uri in Baramulla district, said the situation on the ground remains unchanged months after the operation. "Not a single stone has been moved in Uri after the operation," he has been cited in the report, adding that multiple homes were damaged during the shelling, prompting large-scale evacuations.

Shafi said while evacuations helped save lives, the absence of permanent shelters continues to expose residents to danger. He argued that community bunkers are often impractical in mountainous terrain.

Similar views were expressed by Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, MLA from Thanamandi in Rajouri district, who said the scattered layout of border settlements makes access to shared bunkers impossible during shelling. “Houses are kilometres apart. When firing starts, no one can step out to reach a community bunker,” Khan has been cited in the report.

Government officials, however, said work is expected to begin in the coming months.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned more than 500 bunkers for the Uri sector, with construction scheduled to start in April 2026, the Business Line had reported in January. Separately, the Jammu and Kashmir administration submitted a proposal in November 2025 seeking approval for 5,693 bunkers in Poonch district.

Minga Sherpa, District Magistrate of Baramulla, as cited in January report, stated that the approved bunkers will be constructed in areas located within five kilometres of the Line of Control (LoC). He said sites have been identified by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Uri, with priority accorded to villages most vulnerable to cross-border firing. Sherpa added that the number of bunkers could be increased in phases based on requirements.

The renewed focus on civilian protection follows India’s military action against Pakistan in May last year, after which cross-border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir killed at least 16 civilians and injured more than 55 others, according to official data. The incidents highlighted the continued risks faced by populations living along the 740-km-long LoC.

Prior to the 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire, ceasefire violations were frequent, with India recording over 4,000 violations in 2001 and 5,767 in 2002. While violations have since declined, intermittent shelling continues to threaten border communities.

Official figures show that bunker coverage remains limited in several areas.

In the Uri sector, the government has constructed 44 underground bunkers, while 22 were built by local residents and three by the Army under the Sadbhavana scheme.