The Indian Army had converted 28,000 kanals (20 kanals equals one hectare) spread over 21 villages in Pallanwala-Akhnoor sector into minefields during Operation Parakram.
The Indian Army has de-mined minefields spread over 653 acres of land on the Line of Control in Jammu’s Pallanwala sector. The land was then handed over to the locals during a ceremony on May 10. The de-mined land will now be utilised for cultivation.
“The Indian Army has been not only protecting the nation, but also helping locals by undertaking various people-friendly projects. It has de-mined land and handed it over to its owners,” Lt Col Biplab Nath, defence spokesman, Jammu, said.
The Indian Army had converted 28,000 kanals (20 kanals equals one hectare) spread over 21 villages in Pallanwala-Akhnoor sector into minefields during Operation Parakram. Of the 28,000 kanals, 717.19 kanals were already de-mined in February and handed over to the locals.
“The process to de-mine other minefields in Akhnoor sector is on. We are trying to complete the process before the onset of monsoon in June. During monsoon, the mines float on land,” divisional commissioner (Jammu) Pawan Kotwal said.
“De-mining is a very sophisticated process and a specialised job. The army has been using state-of-the-art equipment to clear the minefields. It is using a special machine, which cracks up four inches of the earth’s surface when it is run over the minefield. After that, another machine is brought in to de-mine the land… We hope the de-mining process is completed before the deadline,” Kotwal said.
The J&K government is in constant touch with the army to ensure that the de-mining process is completed in time for cultivation of land to begin. “That is why we want the land to be de-mined as soon as possible so that it is safe for farmers to use it for agriculture. We hope that the June deadline is met so that farmers can reuse their land,” a senior official said.
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