DHARWAD: When a large banyan tree falls, the ground below it is shaken. Alright. But when a big building collapses, perhaps rational thinking gets shaken in the vicinity.
After the tragic collapse of an under-construction multi-storey building at Kumareshwar Nagar in which 19 people were buried alive in March, shops in the vicinity are now downing their shutters early in evening. Reason - customers refuse to visit the place for fear of ghosts or evil forces.
Many local residents are scared to use the road where the structure once stood, particularly after nightfall. Some people believe that evil forces exist at the tragedy site and anything might happen. They advise their family members against taking the road.
A resident of Kumareshwar Nagar said he does not believe in ghosts, yet follows what elderly people tell him at home. “Parents ask me not to use the road during night time and during afternoon, fearing something bad might happen. Similar is the case in many other homes where parents tell their wards to take alternative roads to reach home after nightfall”, he said.
“After the building collapsed, it has become a no man’s place. Earlier, the spot used to be crowded till late night as restaurants, medical stores and other shops were housed in the building. Now the absence of the building itself gives a different sense”, he added.
A shop owner in the vicinity of the spot said miscreants are spreading rumours and some people believe them. “Nobody has experienced any problem as such”, he said.
“The business has come down after the building collapsed. What should I do sitting alone in the shop if no customer turns up. There are rumours that the souls of the victims are still at the spot. They are many other such stories”, he added.