No major impact of cyclone on Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: No untoward incident has been reported in southern coast of Gujarat so far on Wednesday due to the severe cyclonic storm ‘Nisarga’, which has made landfall in neighbouring Maharashtra, a senior official said.

Authorities have so far shifted more than 63,700 people living close to the coast in eight districts to safer places as a precautionary measure, he said. The cyclone made landfall near Alibaug in coastal Raigad district of Maharashtra around 12:30 pm.

As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar in Maharashtra will feel the impact of gusty winds and heavy rains being caused by the storm.

“Wind speed remained normal in Valsad and Navsari districts, located close to the Arabian Sea. However, the wind speed may increase up to 60 to 70 kmph in the next three hours as the cyclone is moving towards north-east

Maharashtra,” said state Relief Commissioner Harshad Patel.

He said no untoward incident or human injury has been reported so far. “Valsad and Navsari received rainfall of 2 mm and 7 mm, respectively, since this morning. The situation is under control,” Patel said.

As a precautionary measure, over 63,700 people living close to the coast in eight districts have been evacuated to safer places, said Patel.

While 33,680 of them were evacuated from Valsad district, 14,400 people were evacuated in Navsari, 8,727 in Surat, 3,066 in Bhavnagar, 2,086 in Amreli, 1,2020 in Bharuch, 761 in Anand and 228 in Gir-somnath.

18 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and six teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed at different locations. The weather bureau has sounded red alert for at least seven coastal districts of Maharashtra, while several districts along Gujarat’s coast are also expecting heavy rainfall.