Worst nightmare for Poonch residents: Living with unexploded shells

THe cross-border belligerency betwixt bharat and islamic republic of pakistan may feature dies down, but it brings scarce respite for Poonch residents, who now have to live with the fear of unexploded shells lying in their neighbourhood.While the shells that exploded destroyed their homes and took away loved ones, the ones that did not are instilling fear in their hearts and minds.The security forces have been working overtime since the ceasefire was announced to sanitise the shelling-hit areas of live ammunition and have cautioned people about the same.As families that had fled to nearby areas amid intense shelling last week are returning home, many are apprehensive about the danger posed by these unexploded shells.Also Read | Poonch man shares videos of homes destroyed by Pakistan shelling: ‘Never forget sacrifice’Officials confirmed that dozens of unexploded shells have been located and safely destroyed so far, and the search continues.Poonch was among the worst-hit areas in the shelling, accounting for a majority of the 25 fatalities across Jammu and Kashmir.Asad ur Rehman, a resident of Nangali Sahib village in Poonch, says it will take time for normalcy to return. “Our village is just four to five kms from the Line of Control (LoC), and there is fear among the people. Last week, a shell struck a newly constructed house belonging to one of my relatives but did not explode. It was safely destroyed by the police and army two days ago,” he said, and added that police advisory for caution has heightened alert among people.Also Read | Eerie silence prevails in Poonch houses that once reverberated with laughterAzmat Hussain, a resident of Saral village in Haveli tehsil, says people are cautious even while moving around. “Two unexploded shells were found near our village and destroyed safely. People are avoiding going out into the fields as most of the shells landed in open areas,” he said.Mohammad Akbar, the sarpanch of Seri Chowana A, said most of the shells in the area landed in open spaces and exploded, but residents are still exercising caution. “After the police advisory, we’ve also become more careful, especially since the shelling was intense,” he said.Police have advised caution and urged people not to approach any unexploded shell or suspicious object. “Police are visiting the locations where shelling was reported to locate unexploded shells, if any. We have urged citizens not to touch or approach any unexploded shell or suspicious object and to alert the police. In some cases, people helped us locate unexploded shells,” said Poonch senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shafqat Hussain.Police say the task is especially challenging in areas with soft soil, where shells have sunk deep into the ground.Even as the search continued, Poonch town is slowly moving towards normalcy. As more and more people are returning home, most shops in the town market were open on Tuesday.