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Cyclone Nisarga: Mumbai on alert; 110 KPH winds, 6 feet waves expected

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New Delhi, June 03: Cyclone Nisarga, the first such storm to threaten Mumbai in over a century, is expected to make landfall in Raigad district, located south of the financial capital, by Wednesday afternoon, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities.

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The IMD (India Meteorological Department) 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.

The storm is likely to impact Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts like Raigad and Palghar along with Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bhavnagar and Bharuch districts of Gujarat and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

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Cyclone Nisarga: Please stay indoors for 2 days, Uddhav urges people in coastal areasCyclone Nisarga: Please stay indoors for 2 days, Uddhav urges people in coastal areas

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in parts of Maharashtra for rescue operations in view of the cyclonic storm, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said.

"Out of the 16 NDRF units, 10 have been deployed for rescue operation during the cyclone, and six SDRF units are in reserve," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a graphic shared on Twitter.

It said precautions will be taken during the relief and rehabilitation works, considering the prevalence of Covid-19 in the state.

Elaborating on the government's preparedness for the approaching cyclonic storm, the CMO tweeted that an alert has been issued for Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

Meanwhile, Thackeray's office said those staying in 'kaccha' houses are being moved to safer places.

"Slum-dwellers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, particularly those living in low-lying areas, have been instructed to evacuate," it said.

Cyclone Nisarga: Please stay indoors for 2 days, Uddhav urges people in coastal areasCyclone Nisarga: Please stay indoors for 2 days, Uddhav urges people in coastal areas

The CMO said non-Covid hospitals are being made available to deal with any medical emergency.

The state government is also taking measures to prevent power outages and precautions in chemical industries and the nuclear power plant in Palghar and Raigad districts, it said.

Town planning authority MMRDA said nearly 150 patients at its Covid facility in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai have been shifted to another location as a precaution in the wake of the cyclone.

"The impending threat of Nisarga Cyclone is upon Mumbai. Although the COVID-19 hospital can sustain strong winds of up to 80-100 km per hour, however, with human lives at stake, as a precautionary measure, all the patients (about 150) from the hospital are being shifted by BMC," the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said in a tweet.

The MMRDA has set up a 1,008-bed facility, where nearly 150 patients are taking treatment.

The Western Naval Command has put its teams on alert and is ready to respond to the cyclone, a defence spokesperson said.

The Navy has kept five flood teams and three diving teams on stand-by in Mumbai, the official said.

These teams, trained and equipped for rescue operations, are stationed at various naval areas across Mumbai and can provide early response over a larger area, he said.

A recce of known flood-prone areas has been undertaken and all necessary preparations are in place. Similar arrangements have been set up within the Karwar Naval Area, Goa Naval Area as well as Gujarat Daman and Diu Naval Areas, he said.

Raigad district collector and superintendent of police visited villages situated along the coastlines of Alibaug, Murud, Shrivardhan, Mhasala and Nagaon Revas areas, which are likely to be affected by the cyclone, an official said.

"We have evacuated more than 3,500 people from koliwadas (fishermen colonies) and temporary houses to safer structures like schools, community halls and government buildings," superintendent of police Raigad, Anil Paraskar said.

The police have also requested people to stay indoors and not venture out near the coast, he said, adding that people have been assured of all possible help from the authorities during this time.

Private and public sector establishments including RCF, GAIL and JSW have also been asked to take precautions, the official said.

At least four teams of the NDRF have been deployed at Alibaug, Shrivardhan among other areas to tackle any emergency situation, Paraskar said.

Similar measures are being taken by the police and administrations in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts, an official from Konkan Divisional Commissionerate office said.

Mumbai hasn't "experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891", according to Adam Sobel, professor of atmospheric science at Columbia University.

Mumbai experienced severe floods in 2005, and more recently in 2017 and 2019, but none of them was due to cyclones.

All that could change on Wednesday when a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds from 100 to 120 kmph could hit the city and India's western coast.

The IMD is predicting heavy rainfall, squally winds, very rough seas and storm surges inundating low lying areas of the city.

OneIndia News (with agency input)

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