Return Still Risky Despite Ceasefire

Srinagar/New Delhi: There was an uneasy calm at the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border after India and Pakistan refrained from firing after the ceasefire understanding announced on Saturday. Security forces and the border states' administration remained in a high state of alert even as life slowly started returning to normalcy on Sunday. However, by night the blackouts and prohibitory orders were back in some places.

The frontier region along the India and Pakistan borders in J&K, which witnessed mayhem for several days with scores killed, homes destroyed and livestock perishing in the intense cross-border shelling, continues to be tense. Though people in Uri and Poonch had started returning to their homes, residents of forward regions of Jammu and Kashmir were cautioned against rushing back in view of suspected littered and unexploded ammunition lying in the frontline area which the forces have started clearing up. Bomb disposal squads will be sent to affected areas to sanitise and clear the villages of any unexplored shells which can lead to loss of human lives.

The J&K police have issued a formal advisory, saying, “Do not return to frontline villages. Lives are at risk as unexplored munitions remain (scattered) after Pakistani shelling.”

“We are sure about the presence of some unexploded bombs and shells in these areas, which makes rushing back to native places by the displaced villagers highly dangerous. We have advised them to wait till the entire region is sanitised by the security forces,” said a government official. He added many families are living with their relatives or friends and some in rented rooms away from their native places. Those who chose to take refuge in shelter centres and are being looked after by the respective district administration and can stay there as long as we feel it necessary.

In Rajasthan border cities, markets were reopened and train services restored. Restrictive orders were withdrawn in areas of Punjab and Chandigarh. But people were asked to keep lights switched off voluntarily in several places.

District administration of Barmer on Sunday morning announced that markets will be open and all activities will go on as normal. However, blackouts returned by night and people were asked to stay indoors in the wake of “incoming drone activity.”

In Rajasthan’s forward area too, life started returning to normalcy. However, in Jaisalmer the state administration announced to keep blackouts from 7.30pm on Sunday till 6 am on Monday. People have been told to keep an eye on any suspicious person or thing and inform police promptly.

Electricity was restored in Punjab on Saturday, thus ending the blackout. The Punjab police and the Border Security Force are maintaining strict vigil in the state and, reportedly, recovered a drone from an agricultural field near Ganeshe Wale Jhugge village, situated along the International Border. Police in the border areas is carrying out search operations for debris of Pakistani drones.

Residents of Gujarat’s forward areas of Bhuj, Kutch and Jamnagar too started returning to their homes and shops reopened. The blackout orders have been withdrawn for the time being from Jamnagar, Okha, Banaskantha, Patan, Kutch and Dwarka. Several villagers from the border areas who were evacuated and shifted to safer zones on Friday and Saturday, returned home.