Declare Uttarakhand disaster as natural calamity: Mayawati

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today expressed concern over massive loss of life and property in neighbouring Uttarakhand and demanded the central government to declare it as a national calamity.
"There is not just loss of life and property in Uttarakhand but relatives of thousands of people from other parts of the country who had gone there for pilgrimage are also worried about their welfare.
"In this hour of crisis, Uttarakhand government needs all the help for making the situation normal. The central government should immediately declare it as national calamity and provide all the help required," Mayawati was quoted as saying in a party release here.

The BSP supremo said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take the initiative to declare the disaster as a national calamity as lakhs of families were in dire need of help.
"Instead of tours by leaders and ministers, the people of that state require prompt help at the ground level to save any further loss of life and problems of lack of food for their families," she said.
Mayawati said Uttar Pradesh should also stand by Uttarakhand, which was its part not very long ago, and extend all possible help.
She also appealed to the members of her party in Uttarakhand to help the suffering people, the release stated.

Thousands are feared dead in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand, even as rescue and relief operations have been intensified to evacuate stranded people in Kedarnath which has suffered massive damage in flash floods and cloudbursts.