• Source:JND
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PM Modi Himachal Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet 11-month-old Neetika and the other 21 survivors during his visit to flood-affected Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. The little girl, who lost her parents and grandmother, is now in the care of relatives. Neetika, whose parents, Ramesh Kumar, 31, and Radha Devi, 24, along with her grandmother Poonam Devi, 59, were struck by a landslide and swept all three away.

She is the only surviving member of her family after the July disaster, following heavy rains that ravaged the hill state. A flash flood had triggered by a cloudburst struck Talwara village in Gohar sub-division in Mandi district on June 30.

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How Neekita Caught People's Attention

On the intervening night of June 30 and July 1, she was fast asleep when the raging waters came calling. Her parents and grandmother stepped out to divert the flood that threatened their home. They never returned. Only the baby remained -- untouched, as if the monsoon fury had paused at her cradle. Nikita had a miraculous escape. Her presence, fragile yet unbroken, has come to symbolise both the devastation and the miracle of survival. For Himachal Pradesh, she's the face of a tragedy that statistics cannot capture.

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Nikeeta A Child Of State

The body of her father was found close to the house, but her mother and grandmother remain untraceable. A photo of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Samritika Negi holding Neetika in her arms has gone viral, capturing hearts across India. The child is currently being raised by her aunt Kirna Devi, who resides in the same village where the disaster struck. Neetika has been declared a "child of the state", meaning the government has pledged full support for her upbringing, education and professional studies.

Meanwhile, PM Modi is visiting flood-affected regions of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to review the ongoing disaster response and rehabilitation efforts following severe monsoon-triggered floods and landslides that have wreaked havoc across northern India.

(With IANS inputs)