J&K’s flooded border bunkers expose gaps in civilian protection after May war

Srinagar: Months after the four-day Indo-Pak armed conflict in May 2025 forced thousands of families to flee their homes, residents of border villages in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts find themselves staring at another crisis: their underground bunkers — built as lifesaving shelters against cross-border shelling — have been rendered useless by torrential rains.

The community and individual bunkers, constructed in recent years by the Roads & Buildings (R&B) Department and the Rural Development Department (RDD), are today filled with water, mud, and filth. Locals say heavy and continuous rainfall over the past few weeks turned the bunkers into “underground septic tanks.”

“Instead of saving us during shelling, these bunkers have become breeding grounds for disease,” said a resident of a border hamlet in Samba. “Every time we look at them, we are reminded that when the next shelling starts, we will have nowhere to hide.”

During the May conflict, which saw heavy artillery exchanges across the International Border, hundreds of families were evacuated from villages in these three districts. The war once again underlined the dire need for well-maintained shelters to prevent civilian casualties. But the torrential monsoon has exposed poor planning and complete neglect.

According to local reports, most bunkers lacked basic drainage mechanisms or waterproofing. The ingress of rainwater, compounded by mudslides from adjoining fields, has rendered them unsafe. “They were built underground but without proper engineering. They couldn’t withstand a single spell of heavy rain. How will they withstand war?” asked another villager.

Security experts warn the collapse of the bunker system has serious implications. “Civilian protection is central to border security. If bunkers are lying in ruins, the government is leaving residents exposed in the event of renewed hostilities,” said a retired Army officer. “The May war should have been a wake-up call. Instead, neglect has deepened the vulnerability.”

Officials admitted that no cleaning exercise has been undertaken so far. They cited continuous rainfall and shortage of manpower as the reasons for the delay.

However, they said there are no separate funds to clean the bunkers and make them usable again. “These bunkers were constructed with limited funds and no provision was kept at that time for their regular maintenance”, the officials said.

The BJP-led administration in J&K had touted the bunker project as a major confidence-building measure for border residents, promising protection against frequent Pakistani shelling. Today, with shelters flooded and unusable, residents feel abandoned.

“Our children shiver every time they hear a gunshot across the border,” said a resident of Kathua. “When war came in May, the bunkers gave us hope. Now, they are nothing but water tanks. Who will answer for this negligence?”

With the Line of Control and International Border still tense after the May flare-up, the collapse of the bunker system is more than just a local grievance. It is a warning: unless restored, the very lifelines meant to shield civilians in times of war may instead become symbols of state apathy.