Srinagar: After operating for almost thirty years, a security bunker in Srinagar's Braripora area of Safakadal was removed this week. Constructed by the Border Security Force (BSF) during the height of militancy in the early 1990s, the bunker has remained a mainstay in the area despite major shifts in the security environment.
Officials said the bunker, among the largest in Srinagar, was part of a broader network of security installations set up during a time of heightened unrest. While many similar structures were removed over the past decade, the Braripora bunker continued to operate, citing strategic and security concerns.
"Braripora bunker was dismantled yesterday evening. The process of reviewing the need for security bunkers is continuous,” a senior police official said. “If a bunker is deemed necessary, it will be built. When a bunker is no longer needed, it is removed. The decision was taken after assessing the current situation in the area.”
Locals applauded the removal of the bunker while describing it as a step in the right direction for regaining public areas. For years, the bunker was a source of inconvenience, according to local shopkeeper Javed Ahmad.
"This bunker, which took up a large amount of the road, was most likely the biggest in the city," Ahmad stated. "It frequently resulted in serious traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours. Eliminating it will reduce traffic and enhance mobility for both cars and pedestrians."
Read More:
