Jammu, Feb 17 (IANS): Kathua Deputy Commissioner Rahul Pandey on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the status of the construction of bunkers in border areas of the Jammu and Kashmir district, an official said.

During the meeting, it was told that the PWD and the Rural Development Department have undertaken the task of construction of 2,126 bunkers on the border tehsils of Hiranagar and Marheen, which include 1,956 individual bunkers and 170 community bunkers.

"The Deputy Commissioner directed the agencies to expedite the pace of work on construction of border bunkers to ensure their timely completion," a statement noted.

The area is in the vicinity of the International Border with Pakistan.

People living in the border zones who bear the brunt of Pakistani shelling and firing during ceasefire violations take refuge in the bunkers.

Construction of bunkers in border areas was a long pending demand of border residents.

There has been a significant drop in ceasefire violations after a renewed ceasefire understanding was implemented by India and Pakistan three years ago.