Enough scars had already been inflicted by the Kargil war, but Kargil continues to be haunted by the shadows of the 1999 war as one or other incident reminds us of the grim war fought then. This was recently evidenced when a 13-year-old boy was killed and two others were injured after an unexploded mortar shell, believed to be from the war, went off while they were playing near a football ground in the Kargil district. The injured boys were rushed to the hospital, and unfortunately, one of them succumbed to his injuries. LG announced ex-gratia relief for the affected families. The presence of a shell from the 1999 Kargil war, on the other hand, is cause for serious concern. Despite spending crores on the sanitization of the area and even after two decades, if some shell explodes, it is a matter of immediate attention. LG rightly directed the concerned authorities to sanitise the area to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Locals and officials have called for immediate action to clear the area of unexploded bombs and ensure the safety of residents.
The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by unexploded ordnance in the region and the need for concerted efforts to address it. The latest technical gadgets, like X-ray scanners and drones, can now be used to detect hidden ammunition. One explosion is enough to have lasting effects that take years to heal. Though it is next to impossible to sanitize the entire war zone again, authorities must ensure the sanitization of populated areas at least to avoid such tragedies in the future. The task is tough, but not impossible. On their part, citizens must educate the children not to fiddle with any such device while playing or otherwise. Wide awareness is a must. A precious life has been lost, and others may be traumatised for life. As such, utmost caution and all necessary precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of the people.
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