NEW DELHI: The quaint neighbourhood of Paschim Vihar where Shikha Garg lived with her husband, Soumya Bhattacharya, woke up to the news of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Monday. Garg was among the four Indians killed in the Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed after taking off from Addis Ababa, killing 149 passengers on board.
The family and friends of the 32-year-old are yet to come to terms with the loss. “I am in shock. We do not know the details. My son and wife have gone to the authorities. We got to know about the news through media reports,” said S Bhattacharya, her father-in-law. “This terrible news is just unbearable,” said her sister-in-law, who did not wish to be named. Shikha got married in December 2018 to her colleague Soumya, working with the United Nations in its environment programme UNEP.
Garg had given over six years to the issue of climate change and sustainable development, being a consultant with the United Nations Development Programme and attached to the Environment Ministry.
Rishi Kaushik, who knew Garg for two years, said she was an integral part of the international cooperation division of the ministry.
“She was looking after sustainable development goals and was going to attend an annual environment conference of the UNEP, whose headquarters is in Nairobi,” said Kaushik, Section Officer (International Cooperation and Sustainable Development), Environment Ministry.Garg’s friend, who did not want to be named, remembered her as hardworking. “She was vibrant and a happy soul besides being a dedicated professional,” said the friend.
Kaushik, who visited Garg’s residence, said her family was devastated and waiting to receive her body, which has not been identified in Nairobi yet. Garg is survived by her parents, two sisters and a brother.With inputs from agencies
She (Shikha Garg) was a vibrant person and a happy soul besides being hard working and a dedicated professional. She got married last year in December A friend