Nisarga to hit Maha tomorrow, Mumbai braces for impact
MUMBAI: Nisarga, a possible severe cyclonic storm that is expected to result from a depression forming in the southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area, will impact Mumbai city which may experience high speed winds and extremely heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Monday as it issued a red alert for six other districts including Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Dhule, Nandurbar and Nashik between June 3 and 4.
The entire region between Daman (near Gujarat) and Harihareshwar in Raigad — comprising the Konkan coastline — as well as some inland districts of Maharashtra, stand to be affected as the cyclone may make landfall on the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts on June 2, IMD said.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday held a video-conference with home minister Amit Shah on the state’s preparedness for a likely severe cyclonic storm that is expected to make landfall on Wednesday in which at least 20 million people stand to be affected along the Konkan coastline, including Mumbai city.
Maharashtra state officials have snapped into disaster preparation mode as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a red alert for seven districts, including Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad on Monday, on account of a depression in the Arabian Sea that is expected to form into cyclone Nisarga, a severe cyclonic storm, on June 2 and make landfall on June 3.
Shah reportedly offered Thackeray the use of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from neighbouring states. Maharashtra has 16 teams of which 10 are deployed in areas likely to be affected including three in Mumbai, two each in Palghar and Raigad and one in Thane. Each team comprises 45 jawans.
More teams may be deployed on Tuesday, as the IMD revises its bulletin based on the progress of the weather system.
Maharashtra, which is already reeling under the highest case load of Covid-19 infections in the country — it crossed the 40,000 mark on Monday — has issued special instructions to officials to devise ways in which positive patients can be shifted to safer locations in case the cyclone makes landfall as expected on Wednesday afternoon. It has also advised districts to maintain social distancing norms during the shift to relief shelters, if and when that happens. Non-Covid hospitals across the districts would be made available to tackle the disaster, a press note released by the CM’s office on Monday stated.
Thackeray has also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to shift slum dwellers staying in low-lying areas of the city to safer locations. Mahesh Narvekar, chief officer of BMC disaster management cell said, “Our preparations are underway based on the regular updates from IMD authorities.”
Strict warnings have been issued to the fishing community to avoid entering the Arabian Sea and municipal officials are focusing on low-lying areas in Mumbai to determine whether Covid-19 centres would need to be relocated, an official said on the condition of anonymity.
Prominent low lying areas include Hindmata and the flower market at Dadar, Century Bazar in Worli, Lower Parel station, Andheri, and Marol naka among others. Many of these areas fall within wards with the most number of cases in the city.
At least 11 teams comprising officials of the fire, health and disaster management departments, as wells as 94 lifeguards are on alert, PS Rahangdale, chief fire officer, said.