In Kangra, PM Modi meets one-year-old Nitika, 20 other survivors of Himachal rain disaster

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kangra on Tuesday to assess the flood-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh and meet survivours of the devastating monsoon rains.

Among those he met was one-year-old Nitika, who became the symbol of this year’s tragedy after losing her entire family in a cloudburst in Mandi district.

Nitika, who was just 11 months old at the time, lost her father Ramesh Kumar (31), mother Radha Devi (24), and grandmother Poonam Devi (59) on the night of June 30 when a massive landslide struck Talwara village in the Gohar area.

The three were swept away while trying to divert slush away from their home, unaware of the impending cloudburst in the mountains above. Miraculously, Nitika, who was asleep in the kitchen, a part of the house untouched by the slide, survived unscathed.

Now nearly 14 months old, Nitika has been declared a “child of the state” by the Himachal Pradesh government, which has committed to funding her education and all living expenses.

She is currently in the care of her paternal aunt, Kirna Devi. Following the tragedy, images of Nitika in the arms of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Samritika Negi went viral, prompting hundreds of adoption requests from across the country.

In addition to Nitika, the Prime Minister met 20 other survivours who lost loved ones and property to the relentless monsoon rains that have wreaked havoc across the state since June 20.

Upon arrival at Gaggal Airport, Modi was received by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri. He is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting with the Chief Minister and senior officials, during which a detailed presentation on the monsoon-related losses will be made.

According to state estimates, Himachal Pradesh has suffered damages exceeding Rs 4,500 crore. A total of 370 people have lost their lives, while 41 are still missing. Public Works Department infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges, has borne the brunt of the damage.

Since the onset of monsoon, the state has recorded 136 landslides, 95 flash floods, and 45 cloudbursts, causing extensive destruction to both public and private property.

As of now, 615 roads, including four national highways, remain closed. Additionally, 1,748 electricity transformers and 461 water supply schemes are still non-functional.