NDTV's senior anchor Sikta Deo was honored in a Durga Puja pandal in Bhubaneswar on August 28, 2026, after her coverage of the August 26 flood that killed 1,451 people in Nepal.
The floods, caused by the sudden collapse of a glacier in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, left 5,745 people missing, including many Indians, and devastated villages, bridges, and power grids across western Nepal.
Deo arrived in Nepal to cover a cultural event but pivoted to the disaster on the day the water surged. Using only her phone and that of her cameraman, she logged the pounding streams, the army’s barricades, and the harrowing accounts of residents like Maiya Tamang, a bed‑ridden woman who refused to leave her home.
In the heart of Bhubaneswar's Durga Puja celebrations, a massive cut‑out portrait of Deo—mic in hand, NDTV logo emblazoned—was displayed beside a banner that read 'Our eyes on the flood, our hearts with the survivors.' The display drew crowds of devotees, many of whom had followed her reports on social media.
NDTV’s managing editor, Shashi Kumar, said the tribute underscores the media's role in disaster response. 'Sikta’s footage offered a raw, unfiltered view that helped shape relief policies,' he noted.
The organization plans to compile a 30‑minute documentary from her footage, slated for release on the national channel on September 5, 2026, and will host a panel discussion with disaster experts the following week.