Mumbai, Guj on alert for storm Nisarga
Over 21K in 22 villages of Palghar dist evacuated Cyclone to make landfall near Alibaug today afternoon
Mumbai: Cyclone Nisarga, the first such storm to threaten Mumbai in over a century, was barreling towards the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts and is expected to make landfall near Alibaug, about 100 km from Mumbai, today afternoon. The IMD said Nisarga is likely to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” with heavy rainfall and wind speeds of 110 km per hour over the next 12 hours. Over 10,000 people, including some Covid-19 patients, have been moved to safer locations. ■
After a decade, Mumbai will experience its first cyclone on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that the deep depression in the Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm. Maharashtra has issued an alert of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar districts. Ten teams of the NDRF and 93 lifeguards have been deployed at Mumbai's six beaches for rescue operations.
According to the IMD, Cyclone Nisarga is very likely to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” over the next 12 hours and cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman with a maximum sustained wind 100-110 gusting to 120 kmph and bring in very heavy rains. It further added that the cyclone will have an impact on Mumbai.
IMD’s latest forecast for Nisarga showed the the centre of the cyclone making landfall near Alibaug on Wednesday afternoon.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday asked people to stay alert. He had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the storm and Mr Modi assured all necessary help from the Union government. “The cyclone could be more severe than the ones the state has faced till now. Tomorrow and the day after are crucial in coastal areas,” he said.
Over 21,000 residents of 22 villages in Maharashtra’s Palghar district will be evacuated.
The CMO tweeted that precautions will be taken during relief work given the prevalence of Covid-19.
Meanwhile in Gujarat, the Valsad and Navsari district administrations have started evacuating nearly 20,000 people from 47 villages located close to the state coastline, officials said. In a relief to people living near the shore, the India Meteorological Department indicated the cyclone may not make a landfall on the Gujarat coast. However, it will have an impact in the form of gusty winds coupled with heavy rainfall in the coastal belt.