Declare national calamity, provide effective relief: CPI(M) on north India floods

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday demanded the Central Government to declare devastating floods and landslides in north India a national calamity and undertake relief and rehabilitation measures on a war-footing.

“Declare National Calamity and Provide Effective Relief on a War-Footing,” The CPI(M) said in a statement.

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The Left party made the demand expressing deep concern over the devastating floods and landslides in north India, affecting states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

The floods have caused widespread destruction, with Punjab being the worst affected. All 23 districts in the state have been declared flood-hit, with approximately 3 lakh acres of standing crops submerged and over 4 lakh people directly affected. In Haryana, about 2.5 lakh acres of crops across 1,402 villages in 12 districts have been completely destroyed. Himachal Pradesh has suffered heavily, with over 320 people dead and many reported missing. The state’s apple orchards in Shimla and Kullu have been severely damaged, with estimated losses to almost 25,000 acres of horticultural land.

In a Politburo statement the CPI(M) criticized the Central Government’s response to the disaster, stating that it has failed to deal with the situation effectively. “The Central Government led by the BJP has failed in dealing with this huge disaster,” the party said demanding that the government provide immediate relief and rehabilitation to the affected people.

The CPI(M) has been actively involved in providing relief to the affected people in all the states. The party has called upon its cadres to join the relief efforts in their respective states and has also initiated a fund collection drive to support the affected people. “CPI(M) teams are active in all affected states providing relief to the affected. CPI(M) calls upon all its cadres to join in the relief effort in respective States,” the party said.

The floods in north India have been caused by heavy rainfall, resulting in overflowing of rivers such as Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, and Ghaggar. The disaster has highlighted the need for effective disaster management and relief measures. The CPI(M) has emphasized the importance of declaring the situation a national calamity to ensure adequate support and resources for the affected states.