NEW DELHI - In the wake of the recent accidents at two metro rail sites, residents in New Delhi performed ‘Havan’ to protect themselves from such mishaps and also to safeguard the Delhi Metro project.

This Havan was performed on Sunday near Jamrudpur area that witnessed a serious mishap when the girder collapsed last week.

Locals of Jamrudpur gathered at the tiny shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman close to the mishap site and performed the Havan.

The locals attributed the mishap at Jamrudpur to the felling of a peepal tree near the site.

They said that the tree was axed down before the commencement of the construction work and it turned out to be inauspicious as such the mishap took place.

In order to pacify the Gods, the residents of this area performed the Havan so that the construction work proceeds without any further disruption.

“We thought of conducting a Shanti Pooja (peace prayers) by performing Havan (fire ritual) so that the mistakes that have been done accidentally by the DMRC officials or anyone associated with Delhi Metro Rail, God should forbid them so that the metro construction proceeds in peace as Delhi Metro is a notable asset for Delhi,” said Ashok Randhawa, a local resident.

An overhead bridge under construction gave way and crushed six workers to death on Sunday. And the next day, a crane that was pressed into the salvage operations too crashed at the same spot injuring five more workers.

Owning up moral responsibility, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had tendered his resignation.

However, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit turned down the offer to he 77-year-old ace technocrat to resign. (ANI)