New Delhi: Survivors and families of those killed in the building collapse in south Delhi’s Said-ul-Ajaib are still struggling to come to terms with the physical, financial and emotional impact of the tragedy.For relatives of Ravi Prakash Verma, a doctor who died in the building collapse on May 30, a Rs 10-lakh compensation received from Delhi govt has done little to alleviate the magnitude of their loss. His father, Ram Verma, said the amount is insignificant compared with the “crores” the family had invested in educating him. “What is Rs 10 lakh compared to our son’s life?” the grieving father told TOI Sunday, adding that the case is currently before Supreme Court and that the family will oppose any bail plea filed by the accused.For the injured students who survived the tragedy, the ordeal of enduring a slow and tortuous recovery has been compounded by high medical expenses and disrupted education.Lovely Devi, sister of Vishal, one of the injured, said many continue to undergo regular treatment at private hospitals and have had to leave their engineering courses. Vishal still has serious difficulty walking, while his friend Anuj has a rod implanted in his leg. Another injured student, Aditya, is facing grave kidney ailments, Lovely said.Vishal’s family, she claimed, has not received any compensation so far. “Just surviving is taking a toll on us. However, even if the students have to quit their courses, they will find some job or another,” Lovely said, reflecting the steely determination of the survivors to move on despite the setbacks.The tragedy has also scarred those who survived the collapse unharmed but joined in the immediate rescue effort. Anamika Attri narrowly escaped after she stepped out of a canteen, which was flattened, with a friend. Students who helped official emergency responders clear the debris were given Rs 30,000 each, she said.Anamika lost her friend, Ravi, while another friend, Aastha, was left injured. Several students like her returned to their hometowns to pick up the pieces and prepare for their examinations, she said, recalling how she and her friends tried to cope with the trauma by deciding among themselves that they would not talk about it until after the exam.Their coaching institute helped them retrieve their tablets and books from the debris and later arranged a temporary space for classes at a nearby hostel. It also refunded library fees and offered online classes to students who opted for them.Some of the students even appeared for Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) less than a month after the collapse, with the painful memories of the incident still fresh.While the debris may have been cleared from the Said-ul-Ajaib lane, the bereaved families and the survivors still continue to deal with consequences that cannot be erased mentally and physically as easily.
