Declare Kerala floods ‘national disaster’: Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi

In view of the alarming destruction caused by the monsoon flood fury in Kerala that has claimed over 300 lives, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Kerala floods a national disaster, saying millions of lives are 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

On Friday, Rahul had urged the party workers in flood-hit Kerala to focus on all resources to help the people in the state and demonstrate the core Congress values of service and love.

Also Read | Beautiful God's Own Country, now a picture of government’s apathy

“Across Kerala & now Kodagu in Karnataka, heavy rainfall has caused widespread devastation. This is the time for our workers & leaders to demonstrate the core Congress values of service and love. Please focus all our resources & people to help those in need,” Rahul tweeted.

The flood situation in Kerala this monsoon season is the worst since 1924. The rains that triggered landslides and floods have claimed over 325 lives, according to official sources. Over two lakh people have been shifted to relief camps, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, according to reports, the flood water has entered some of the relief centres.

Also Read | Special prayers conducted for rain-hit Kerala’s well-being

The deadly deluge not only took hundreds of lives but also destroyed the scenic beauty of the green state, badly hampering its tourism and agriculture sectors.

Also Read | Maharashtra government announces Rs 20 crore aid for flood-hit Kerala

Early in the day on Saturday, PM Modi took an aerial survey of the flood situation in the southern state and announced Rs 500 crore as immediate relief.