Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), July 7 (IANS) The catastrophic flash floods triggered by multiple back-to-back cloudbursts, tore through several villages of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, swallowing everything in their path.
The youngest victim of the calamity is an 11-month-old baby girl, a family’s lone survivor, who desperately awaits maternal warmth to feel safe and confident amid the devastation.
A week after the mayhem, that is almost a regular feature in the mountainous state every monsoon largely owing to unplanned infrastructure development, rescuers have been on their toes and risking their lives to bring normalcy in the deluge-battered villages.
One of the villages is Talwara in Parwada panchayat that was hit by the deluge in the wee hours of July 1, that swept away the baby’s parents and grandmother.
Locals say the child was sleeping alone in the house when the tragedy struck.
Her parents, father Ramesh and mother Radha, along with grandmother Purnu Devi went outside, leaving the sleeping child behind to divert the gushing waters, in which they were swept away.
In the morning, the persistent and heart-wrenching cries of the baby pierced the air and the villagers went in to check on her and contacted the local authorities after realizing what had happened to her.
Now, the video of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Samritika Negi, holding the child in her arms has gone viral, touching the hearts of many.
The body of the child’s father has been recovered, however, her mother and grandmother are still missing.
SDM Negi told IANS over phone that the baby’s parents were doing agriculture and her grandmother was working as a peon in a local government office.
She said that only this family was affected by the deluge in the village.
However, the impact of the calamity was more in several villages in Thunag as at least 14 people died. Official figures say 30 people are yet to be found.
The SDM told IANS that the baby has been handed over to her father’s cousin sisters, who also live in the village. Fortunately, she has adjusted with other family members.
“The district administration has provided Rs 25,000 ex-gratia to the caretakers of the baby. Also some ration kits were provided to them,” she said.
SDM Negi said the district administration has got 100 plus phone enquiries about the child’s welfare, with many extending financial assistance.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Mandi will open a bank account for the minor child and he will be the guardian. The compensation from the government will be deposited in the name of the child in the shape of fixed deposits so that they will take care of her education and well-being,” SDM Negi told IANS.
“Even the financial assistance of the donors will be deposited directly in that bank account for the child’s safe future,” she said, adding. “This will be decided after the ‘kriya’ of the child’s father.”
The Himachal Pradesh government provides Rs 4 lakh in case of death in a natural calamity irrespective of the place of residence and nationality, provided the death has occurred within the state.
Himachal Pradesh is reeling under severe monsoon devastation with 78 confirmed deaths and extensive infrastructure damage across the state.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, who visited disaster-hit villages of Mandi, has announced comprehensive relief measures, including monthly rent support for affected families.
Himachal Pradesh has suffered an estimated Rs 700 crore loss, with nearly 300 roads blocked and critical infrastructure severely impacted.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured full support, with a Central team expected to assess the situation soon.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been carrying out search operations in several villages.
According to the Indian Air Force, two Mi-17 V5 helicopters have been deployed for relief and rescue operations in the region.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vi******@**ns.in)
–IANS
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