40 Civilian Bunkers Completed in Uri, 162 More Complete in a Month

In a clear signal of defensive preparation amid persistent cross-border tensions, the Uri sector in Baramulla district has seen the completion of 40 individual bunkers for civilians in forward villages, with a further 162 bunkers slated for completion “within the next four weeks,” announced the Jammu & Kashmir Government in a written reply to the Legislative Assembly. The total sanctioned number of bunkers and overhead protection trenches stands at 202 in the border-village belt of Uri.

The reply, tabled by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Javaid Ahmad Dar, noted that while the construction oversight falls under the Home Department, the sanctioning of the 202 bunkers was carried out via the District Development Commissioner (DDC) Baramulla. Each bunker or protection trench is estimated to cost about ₹ 0.55 lakh, funded in convergence mode: approximately ₹ 0.51 lakh via the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹ 0.04 lakh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the labour component. 

Residents of villages in the Uri sector have long demanded individual bunkers amid repeated ceasefire violations and cross-Line of Control (LoC) shelling, which in previous years has resulted in both civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. In May 2025, the Chief Minister acknowledged that “bunkers are back in focus” for border zones such as Uri, Tangdhar, Rajouri, and Poonch, as the lull of peace gave way to renewed firing. 

The completion of the first 40 bunkers and the promise of 162 more in a short timeline reflect both the urgency of civilian protection and the logistical challenge of building in terrain where access, weather, and security all complicate execution. While no new proposals for additional bunkers in currently uncovered villages have been tabled yet, the existing programme underscores the government’s message: in this border region, when bunkers rise, it means the border is watching. 

As the winter season approaches and forward villages brace for the dual threat of shelling and harsh weather, the infrastructure boost may help residents regain a sense of security and resilience. Yet for security analysts, the move also offers a telling indicator: defensive investment is often the mirror image of adversarial pressure — and in Uri’s case, the rise of concrete bunkers signals both humanitarian concern and strategic vigilance.