<p>Srinagar: In the wake of heightened tensions and a spurt in cross-border shelling from Pakistan, the central government has announced additional safety measures for border residents of Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>The fresh Indo-Pak escalation, particularly intense over the past few weeks, has once again brought the miseries of border residents into sharp focus, with families forced to flee their homes, schools shut, and daily life disrupted.</p><p>Union Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday visited forward villages in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and announced the construction of 600 new family bunkers in the area. “These bunkers will be in addition to the 2,000 already constructed and are meant to provide immediate protection to families during Pakistani shelling,” Singh said.</p>.Want to encourage direct communication between India, Pakistan: US State Department.<p>He also announced that an automated centralised siren system will soon be operational in Kathua. “This system will be controlled from the district headquarters. In times of danger, the sirens will be automatically triggered and broadcast warnings through local outlets in every border village,” Singh said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who visited Tanghdar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district—one of the worst-hit areas in recent shelling—said the Union Territory government is working on a proposal for constructing individual bunkers for families living in vulnerable zones along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).</p><p>“We will frame a policy, design a scheme for individual bunkers in border and LoC areas, and then place the proposal before the Central government for support,” Omar told reporters.</p><p>The stepped-up shelling from across the border has taken a heavy toll on civilians in frontier areas like Poonch, Rajouri, Tanghdar, and Uri. In recent weeks, at least 19 people have been killed and dozens others injured, homes have been damaged, and hundreds of families have had to move to temporary shelters or community halls. Children have missed school for days at a stretch, and many residents are living in constant fear.</p>
<p>Srinagar: In the wake of heightened tensions and a spurt in cross-border shelling from Pakistan, the central government has announced additional safety measures for border residents of Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>The fresh Indo-Pak escalation, particularly intense over the past few weeks, has once again brought the miseries of border residents into sharp focus, with families forced to flee their homes, schools shut, and daily life disrupted.</p><p>Union Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday visited forward villages in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and announced the construction of 600 new family bunkers in the area. “These bunkers will be in addition to the 2,000 already constructed and are meant to provide immediate protection to families during Pakistani shelling,” Singh said.</p>.Want to encourage direct communication between India, Pakistan: US State Department.<p>He also announced that an automated centralised siren system will soon be operational in Kathua. “This system will be controlled from the district headquarters. In times of danger, the sirens will be automatically triggered and broadcast warnings through local outlets in every border village,” Singh said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who visited Tanghdar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district—one of the worst-hit areas in recent shelling—said the Union Territory government is working on a proposal for constructing individual bunkers for families living in vulnerable zones along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).</p><p>“We will frame a policy, design a scheme for individual bunkers in border and LoC areas, and then place the proposal before the Central government for support,” Omar told reporters.</p><p>The stepped-up shelling from across the border has taken a heavy toll on civilians in frontier areas like Poonch, Rajouri, Tanghdar, and Uri. In recent weeks, at least 19 people have been killed and dozens others injured, homes have been damaged, and hundreds of families have had to move to temporary shelters or community halls. Children have missed school for days at a stretch, and many residents are living in constant fear.</p>