The flood situation today eased in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which were swamped by torrential rains since last week by the receding monsoon. The death toll, however mounted to 261 with more bodies being found. There was let up in the rains in the past two days in Karnataka giving some respite to the flood victims, large numbers of whom were now lodged in transit camps. The toll in Karnataka is 206, and around 2.5 lakh houses have either collapsed or damaged by the torrential rains with as many as 1 croer 80 lakh people badly hit. With the floods subsiding, the state machinery is now concentrating on relief work. The state government has set up more than 1,200 rehabilitation centres and over 3.5 lakh rain and flood affected people are being provided food and temporary shelter. The state has demanded 16,500 crore rupees from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation works.<br/><br/>In Andhra Pradesh, the situation also showed signs of improvement but reports of flood-related deaths continued to pour in with the official toll standing at 55. About 16 lakh people continued to reel under the impact of floods that have submerged large areas of human habitation and caused severe damaged crops in the five districts of Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda. Over 3 lakh 60 thousand flood victims have taken shelter in 277 relief camps, officials sources said. The water level in Prakasam Barrage, which has been hit by the worst-ever floods in over a 100 years, stood at 21.8 feet. The state government has demanded an interim aid of 6,000 crore rupees from the Centre.<br/><br/>In Orissa, flood water is fast receding in Baleshwar and Bhadrak district as there has been no rains in last two days. Water level in major rivers like Budhabalanga, Kansabansa, Sona, Jalaka and Baitarani is flowing below the danger mark. However, low lying areas are submerged by flood water and affected people are yet to get the relief material. In Goa, the state govt. has started assessing the losses caused due to devastating rains that lashed their state last weekend. According to preliminary estimates, the state suffered a loss of more than 100 crore rupees.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the Centre today assured flood-ravaged Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh that funds will not be a constraint for relief and rehabilitation and asked them to focus on providing succour to the affected people. Home Minister P Chidambaram, who visited the flood-hit areas of the two southern states, said the state governments may utilise the Calamity Relief Fund immediately and once 75 per cent this fund is exhausted, the states may draw on the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). He said in a statement that as soon as the state government is ready to receive the Central team, a team will be sent to the state to assess the damage according to well established norm.<br/><br/>The Prime Minister has expressed grief at the loss of life in the floods in the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. He has sanctioned an ex-gratia of one lakh rupees each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who died in the floods in these states.<br/><br/>The Communist Party of India has urged the Central Government to declare the disastrous and unprecedented floods that have wreaked havoc in some districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as a major National Calamity.<br/><br/>The CPI has demanded immediate relief has to be rushed to the devastated regions in both states and steps for rehabilitation have to be undertaken on war footing. Briefing media persons in New Delhi, Party General Secretary, Mr. A.B. Bardhan said, the party in Andhra Pradesh has mobilised its entire resources for rushing relief to the affected people. He said, teams of party volunteers are distributing cooked food in camps that have been set up in many districts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.<br/>