As Pakistan violates truce, J&K villagers race to make bunkers, unused for years, liveable

Residents in Arnia, Jammu & Kashmir, have initiated a cleaning operation to make underground bunkers habitable after recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Bunkers in other parts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua are also being cleaned. Many of the bunkers had been flooded with rainwater and overrun with vegetation, and lacked basic amenities like electricity and toilets. The construction of individual and community bunkers in the region had been sanctioned by the government in 2017 and additional bunkers were sanctioned later. The renewed ceasefire between India and Pakistan in February 2021 brought relief to the border residents.