help-pours-in-for-little-survivor-of-mandi-tragedy

In the wake of the devastating flashfloods that struck Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, the heartbreaking story of 11-month-old Nitika has moved people across the state and beyond. Orphaned by the tragedy, Nitika has become the face of the Seraj disaster — and a symbol of resilience and hope.

 

On the night of June 30, heavy rain triggered flash floods and mudslides that swept through the Seraj valley, wiping out homes and families. In Parwada village, Nitika’s parents and grandmother were swept away as they rushed out of their house to try and divert the rising water from two overflowing nullahs.

 

Nitika, who was asleep inside, was miraculously spared. Her uncle Balwant recalls the chaos of that night — how the family, unaware of the cloudburst in the higher reaches, tried to protect their home. 

 

“As the water in two nullahs on both sides of the house soared around 10 pm, Nitika’s father Ramesh, mother and grandmother rushed out to divert the flow of the water, which had started entering their house,” said Balwant. All this while, Nitika was fast asleep inside the house.

 

Unaware of the cloudburst in the upper hills, Nikita’s parents and grandmother were swept away by the sudden surge of water. By a stroke of fate, little Nitika survived even as the floodwaters wreked havoc.

 

Her father’s body was later found nearby, but her mother and grandmother remain missing. Nitika, too young to grasp the tragedy around her, is now with her relatives. Her frequent crying, however, speaks of a quiet search for her mother’s warmth. Villagers recall that amid the chaos of the flashfloods, her cries rang out — it was then that neighbours discovered she was alone, with no sign of her family.

 

Pictures of Nitika being held by acting SDM Smritika Negi soon went viral on social media. Many offers for adoption and monetary help poured in from Himachal and across the country. But her paternal aunt, Tara Devi, has expressed her wish to raise Nitika herself, and doesn’t want her to be adopted.

 

The Mandi district administration has since opened a bank account in Nitika’s name so that financial help coming from individuals and NGOs could be deposited in her name. The government has already deposited ₹25,000, and officials assure that any further contributions will remain secured for Nitika — accessible only to her when she turns 18.