Ranbirsingh Pura, (Indo-Pak Border), September 21
With a major chunk of their fertile land producing high-quality basmati rice having come under landmines buried by the Army to prevent infiltration from across the border, the once prosperous farmers of the border belt of Jammu and Kathua districts are now living on government dole.

The landmines were laid about two years ago when there was tension on the border and there signs of a conflict between India and Pakistan.

Not only the landmines, but construction of a ditch-cum-bundh and also barbed wire fencing of the border have deprived the farmers of their fertile land.

About 41,070 acres in the border belt of the two districts are under mines which are being removed at a snail’s pace because of rains and difficulty in destroying them. The Army had some time ago announced that the mines would be removed, but the farmers complain that work on the same is very slow.

The mines are being dumped at one place near Suchetgarh, which is the last village on the border. The work on removing the mines was started a few months ago, but was stopped during the rains.

The farmers point out that they have been unable to sow paddy crops at a stretch because of the disturbances on the border. This has forced them to lead the lives of refugees. They are being issued 9 kg of flour and 2 kg of rice per person and Rs 1600 per month per family.

Mr Subhash Chander, sarpanch of Suchetgarh village, said the authorities had promised them that border fencing would be done at “zero point” but now a sizable stretch of their agricultural land had been left out on the other side of the fence.

He said about 300 acres of agricultural land in the village had come under the ditch-cum-bundh raised by the Army.

He said he was producing 250 bags of basmati earlier, but the yield had now nosedived to 30 bags following mining of the area.

The situation was similar to the neighbouring village of Karotana, which came under enemy fire almost everyday.

It is learnt that over 6,070 acres in Kathua district is under mines, while 35,000 acres is lying unploughed because of this reason in Jammu district. Mines could be found in an area of 5250 acres in Bishnah subdivision of Jammu, 7875 acres in Ranbirsingh Pura,7625 acres in Samba, 812 acres in Jammu and 1875 acres in Akhnoor.

Besides, farmers of Akhnoor claim that 10,000 acres is being utilised by the Army for various operational purposes. As many as 11,000 families in 62 villages have been living in tents for the past five years as they are unable to return to their cultivable lands.