Declare Kerala floods as national calamity: Rahul Gandhi to PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: As flood-situation in the state worsens, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Kerala flood a National Disaster without any delay. Taking to Twitter, he said "Dear PM, Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake."

Dear PM,

Please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 18, 2018

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala too took to Twitter and said, "In Kerala, there has been a damage worth 2000-3000 crores. Congress party demands that #KeralaFloods be declared a national calamity."

The Congress leader further added that all MPs, MLAs and MLCs, belonging to the grand old party, will donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. "All our MPs, MLAs and MLC to donate their one month salary for flood relief in Kerala. A special relief committee will be made to send essential items to Kerala," Surjewala said.

As many as 324 people have lost their lives, thousands displaced or stranded as incessant rains pounded Kerala since the past few weeks, causing havoc in 12 districts.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Kerala to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured, from Prime Minister's National Relief Funds (PMNRF).

Meanwhile, Chief Ministers of almost every state have been declaring relief fund for the flood-hit state.

According to the control room of the Kerala state disaster management authority, 194 people have been killed and 36 missing in the floods since August 8.

Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps and a tweet from Pinarayi Vijayan, the southern state's chief minister, said that the loss from the floods, as per initial estimates, was Rs 19,512 crore.

(With inputs from agencies)