Situated on the banks of the Jhelum at the city's nerve centre of Lal Chowk, the bunker was adjacent to a Hanuman temple and was set up in the early 90s when militancy was at its peak.
The last standing paraphernalia reminding Srinagar of the counter-terrorism machinery has been taken down. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) removed a 26-year-old Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker near Amira Kadal bridge at Hari Singh High Street (HSHS).
Situated on the banks of the Jhelum at the city's nerve centre of Lal Chowk, the bunker was adjacent to a Hanuman temple and was set up in the early 90s when militancy was at its peak. But with the situation showing gradual improvement, the SMC decided to remove the bunker and convert it into a public park.
"All three bunkers at the end of Amira Kadal Bridge towards HSH Street have been demolished and the land has been cleared. It will be developed as a park by the SMC and maintained in coordination with the local Dastageer Sahab (RA) Shrine Auqaf Committee," Junaid Azim Mattu, newly elected SMC mayor, announced on Twitter.
Over the years, the bunker had been attacked several times by terrorists with guns and grenades, inflicting casualties on security forces and citizens alike. "We are thankful to the authorities for accepting our long pending demand to remove the bunker," said Mehraj-ud-Wani, general secretary, Auqaf Idara-e- Gousia Sarai Bala.
Inspector general of CRPF, Srinagar Sector, Ravideep Singh Sahi, told DNA that no functional bunker has been removed, only abandoned ones. "This was an abandoned bunker which wasn't being used. It was removed to clear more space in the area. It was abandoned, lying vacant," he said.
The operational bunkers remain in place, Sahi asserted. "We have not removed any operational or functional bunker," he said.
Official figures reveal that there are 61 battalions of CRPF deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, a majority of them in the Valley, to meet different challenges. The CRPF performs a twin role of maintaining law and order while also conducting counter-terrorism operations alongside the Army and police.
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