The CPI-M Friday asked the central government to step up relief and rescue work in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir, saying the state faced an acute shortage of food.Saying the state government had been unable to cope with the situation, the Communist Party of India-Marxist said that even now thousands of people were marooned."The floods have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives, widespread destruction of property and displacement of lakhs of people from their homes," it said in a statement."Much more needs to be done. The army and the paramilitary forces have been working round the clock... There is acute shortage of food and essential commodities and breakdown in communications. "The central Government must step up the relief and rescue operations through various agencies."