Zamrudpur puts its trust in God over DMRC

With their faith in the Delhi Metro lost after July 12’s mishap, the residents of Zamrudpur are now seeking divine intervention to prevent any more accidents in their area, reports Vandana Ramnani.

With their faith in the Delhi Metro lost after July 12’s mishap, the residents of Zamrudpur are now seeking divine intervention to prevent any more accidents in their area.

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A pillar of the under-construction Delhi Metro section between Central Secretariat and Badarpur collapsed that Sunday near this village in south Delhi, killing six people.

And the residents are no longer content with the mercy of mortals alone .

A few locals performed a puja and havan near the accident site on Sunday to pray for the departed souls and for prevention of any accidents or deaths at the site in future.

“There was a peepul tree at the construction site that was was cut by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) but they haven’t replanted another tree in the area,” said Om pRakash, a resident.“We feel this has angered the Gods.”

The religious ceremony was held at an old Hanuman mandir, which is next to the accident site, and was performed by the temple’s head priest Hari Om Sharma.

A group of three other priests chanted the Gayatri mantra during the ceremony.

After the ceremony was over, the priests sprinkled holy Ganga water at collapsed pillar number 67 and the adjacent pillars.

“We had invited DMRC engineers working at the site to join the puja but they didn’t,” said Ashok Randhawa, a shop owner at Sarojini Market who had helped in organizing the puja. “However, the labourers at the site took part in the havan.”

“I have been helping residents, who had been evacuated from their homes after the accident and were living in a park,” he said. “We decided a puja was necessary to pray for those who died here.”