Special training for border residents

Jammu, June 18: Extraordinary measures which are normally associated with war-like situation have been activated along the Line of Contro...

Jammu, June 18: Extraordinary measures which are normally associated with war-like situation have been activated along the Line of Control LoC and the International Border IB in four sensitive border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said on Thursday.

The measures include providing Civil Defence training to the people for setting up bunkers, digging trenches and shifting of border villagers in the event of a war, the sources said. The District Development Commissioners DDCs of the respective districts have been made in charge of this exercise in Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Kathua districts, the sources said.

Besides, Civil Defence volunteers recruited from among the local populace have been asked to remain alert to meet any eventuality from across the border. The training provided to the volunteers by the Deputy Chief Warden, Chief Medical Officer CMO, the Army and the police officers involves training regarding rescue operations, defusing of explosive devices, disposal of bodiesand administration of first aid. Poonch Deputy Commissioner G.Q. Moghal, who visited the entire border belt of Poonch to take stock of the situation said that the district has been divided into three zones. Each zone comprises a population of 10,000 each as part of the contingency plans. Each zone, to be further divided into five sectors, will be headed by a Civil Defence warden, he said, adding as many as 227 volunteers have been registered for training. The 5 km border belt in Samba and Akhnoor has already been cleared with over 1,200 families accommodated in safer places, sources said. 8220;This has been done in view of the arrangements made by the Pakistani authorities on the other side of the border. They vacated the population from along the border early this month,8221; they added.

In the border district of Kathua, as many as 259 volunteers including the Chief Warden and 20 Wardens of Civil Defence have been trained under the supervision of the DC. In Jammu district, 289 volunteers in border areas havebeen registered for Civil Defence training, the sources said, while 345 volunteers have been trained in Rajouri.

The Divisional Commissioner, Jammu region, BS Jaswal and Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Kuldeep Khuda, during a seven-day visit to the border districts to monitor the progress of these programmes directed the officers not to go on leave.