- Neetika, aged ten months, lost her parents in Mandi district cloudburst on June 30-July 1
- Her father died, while her mother and grandmother remain missing after the flash floods
- Neetika will be raised by her father's younger sister Kirna Devi in Shikauri village
Ten months old Neetika, who lost her parents in the flash floods triggered by the recent cloudburst in Mandi district, will now be raised by her father's younger sister.
The infant was orphaned after a cloudburst struck Talwara village of Parwara panchayat in Mandi district on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1. Her father Ramesh (31) died, while her mother Radha Devi (24) and grandmother Purnu Devi (59) are still missing.
On the tragic night, Ramesh had stepped out to divert the flow of water entering the house, while his wife and mother followed to help. They never returned.
Their neighbour Prem Singh found the infant crying alone in the house and informed Balwant, a cousin of Ramesh who worked as a personal security officer for former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.
After the 'Shudi' ceremony was performed on the 13th day of the family's death, the relatives decided that Neetika will be raised by her aunt Kirna Devi, who already has a son and lives in Shikauri village, about 20 kilometres away from Talwara village, Balwant told PTI on Monday.
He said several people across the country and abroad had expressed willingness to adopt Neetika after hearing of the tragedy.
"We are thankful to them. But we feel emotional and cannot give the only surviving member of the family for adoption," Balwant said.
Earlier, Ramesh's elder sister Tara Devi had taken the child under her care. But later on Sunday it was decided that Kirna Devi would raise Neetika, after she insisted that her village has a conducive atmosphere for the child's education.
The child was also offered admission in Sainik School after Class 6, Balwant added.
With several people coming forward to help the infant, two bank accounts were opened in her name in the Himachal Co-operative Bank and Punjab National Bank. The money deposited in these accounts will be reserved for her education and she can access it when she turns 18, officials said.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur visited Neetika on Saturday and enquired about her well-being. He has urged the state government to provide her benefits under the Chief Minister's Sukh Aashray Yojana.
Under this scheme, the state government offers comprehensive care to thousands of orphans and destitute children -- designated as 'children of the state -- effectively acting as their guardian.
Meanwhile, search operations are still underway to trace 27 people who were washed away after 10 cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides destroyed in various parts of Mandi district on June 30 night. Around 15 people had died in the tragedy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
