07-05-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Anxiety prevails among residents of border villages along Indo-Pak border in Punjab, yet they remain undeterred
CHANDIGARH: Anxiety and panic prevail among residents of villages located along the Indo-Pak international border in Punjab following 'Operation Sindoor'.
However, they remain undeterred since they have faced such conflicts in the past, too.
The 553-km long international border stretches across six districts of the state -- Ferozepur, Fazilka, Taran Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Amritsar. Approximately 45,000 acres of land are across the fence, thus creating a unique challenge for the border farmers.
The farmers are yet to finish post-harvesting activities in their fields located between the border fence and the zero line. The Border Security Force (BSF) has closed the entry gates for them since May 4.
Speaking to this newspaper, Surjit Singh Bhoora, Vice President, Borer Area Kisan Union, said that apart from making cattle feed from wheat straw, levelling the fields ahead of the paddy season is pending.
"The local authorities and BSF have not told the villagers to evacuate the villages, but the villagers are in panic, and a few of them say that they will shift children and women to safer places. Whenever tension escalates along the border, farmers whose land is situated beyond the barbed fence become the worst sufferers," he said.
"Post-harvesting work was delayed due to rainfall in the past few days. The wheat straw got wet. It will take time to dry up. It delayed the process of making cattle feed from it,'' he added.
