Nisarga slams Maharashtra, Gujarat coast today; Mumbai on alert
Likely to intensify into severe storm | 21,000 evacuated in Palghar
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Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
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New Delhi, June 2
How it was named
Nisarga means ‘prakriti’ (nature) and was termed by India’s neighbouring country Bangladesh.
Advertisement- Wind speed: 100-110 kmph
Nisarga is expected to make a landfall between Harihareshwar and Daman (close to Alibag in Raigad district of Maharashtra) as a “severe cyclone” with wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, tomorrow afternoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.
Nisarga happens to be the first in the series of new names proposed for tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean region. It is the 65th named cyclone in north Indian Ocean since the process started in September 2004, according to IMD Director General Mrityunjay Mohapatra.
Nisarga is also pointing towards a “trend of pre-monsoon cyclonic activity in Indian Ocean”. Movement of people along the Mumbai coastline has been prohibited from midnight to Thursday afternoon, the city police said on Tuesday.
An alert has been issued for Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. Chemical units were directed to shut down safely and prohibitory orders have been issued to fishermen not to venture into the sea till June 4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the CMs of Maharashtra and Gujarat and assured them of all help from the Centre. Over 21,000 residents of 22 villages in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have been evacuated.
33 NDRF teams deployed
New Delhi: Thirty-three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed as Nisarga is likely to hit coastal districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat on Wednesday. Of the 33 teams, 17 have been deployed in Gujarat and 16 in Maharashtra, NDRF Director-General SN Pradhan said. An NDRF team comprises of 45 personnel. tns
‘Can cause Massive flooding’
Mumbai: Cyclone Nisarga coinciding with high tide could cause massive flooding in Mumbai and surrounding low-lying areas according to climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll of the Centre for Climate Change Research, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. In a series of tweets, Koll said cyclone coinciding with high tide in Mumbai (could) “work together to flood a city that is already clogged. TNS
(With inputs from PTI)
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