Indian government pressed to declare flood as national calamity

India's opposition Congress party Saturday demanded that the flood in Indian-controlled Kashmir be declared as a national calamity, after over 120 people have died in the deluge and landslide accidents over the past few days.
Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi via phone and demanded immediate steps so that the stranded people are shifted to safer places more efficiently and effectively.
The prime minister assured all possible help to the Kashmiri people in this hour of crisis.
Extensive and large-scale damage of unprecedented proportions has occurred to public infrastructure including roads, bridges, drinking water systems, power distribution systems and private properties like houses, shops, vehicles and livestock due to the floods.
The situation in the state continued to worsen Saturday with the deathtoll mounting to 120 and thousands of people marooned in their villages submerged by water.
Home minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with chief minister Omar Abdullah to take stock of the situation soon after arriving in Srinagar, the state capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir Saturday morning.
Incessant downpour for the last five days has led to the deluge of hundreds of towns and villages displacing thousands of people, although the Meteorological Office there Saturday said the "worst is over". The flooding was also reported across Indian-controlled Kashmir. The communication with a Srinagar-based Xinhua reporter has been lost while a Xinhua photographer there said he has lost touch with his family.