In the serene beauty of the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, destruction hit suddenly. A cloudburst on a wet Tuesday evening turned the serene villages of Pwara, Thunag, Baidshad, Kanda, and Murad into landscapes of complete ruin. Raging waters tore through homes, roads, and lives, leaving behind silence, rubble, and heartbreak.
A Family Swept Away
Among the many affected was the humble home of Ramesh Kumar, a farmer who had already faced life’s unfair blows. Raised by his mother, Purnu Devi, a school peon, after losing his father as an infant, Ramesh was now a father himself. But nature showed no mercy. As he tried to shield his home from the incoming flood, he was swept away. His body was later recovered, buried in debris.
His wife, Radha Devi, and his mother went out in the storm to search for him. Neither returned. They remain missing, feared to have met the same fate. All that was left behind was their 11-month-old daughter, Nitika.
A Cry Heard Through the Silence
In the aftermath, as the skies cleared and rescue efforts began, a faint cry was heard from the ruins of Ramesh’s home. It was Nitika alone, terrified, and miraculously alive. Her neighbor, Prem Singh, followed her voice through the wreckage and found her clinging to life. He rushed her to Balwant, Ramesh’s cousin and a security officer to former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
Balwant, clearly distraught, has since adopted Nitika into his care. “This child is all we have left. We will do everything to protect her,” he said, his voice laced with emotion.
Community Support and Hope Amid Despair
The tragedy has shaken the community intensely, yet brought it together. Locals, officials, and strangers have all rallied to assist. The sub-divisional magistrate has assured a bank account for Nitika and ₹25,000 as an initial relief. But the emotional loss cannot be measured.
Rescue efforts continue in operation. As of now, 14 deaths have been confirmed, and 31 people are still missing. Infrastructure has been devastated, roads destroyed, power lines felled, and water supply severed, but the people of Mandi stand tall, providing hope and assistance wherever they can.
A Symbol of Resilience
Nitika’s survival is both tragic and miraculous, a reflection of the thin line between existence and loss. While her screams are the cries of losing a whole family, they are also infused with hope for a community that will not be defeated.
We notice the worst of nature in her tale, but also the best of humanity.
