“Nisarga” landfalls near Alibaug in Maharashtra

Lucknow, June 03 :
The severe cyclonic storm ”Nisarga” made landfall near Alibaug on the north coast of Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday adding the landfall process will be completed during the next three hours.
”Nisarga”, the first cyclone to hit Mumbai in 72 years, with wind speeds of up to 120 km per hour and caused lawrge scale devastation in the area..
“The centre of the severe cyclone Nisarga is very close to Maharashtra coast. Landfall process started and it will be completed during next three hours. The northeast sector of the eye of severe Cyclonic storm Nisarga is entering into land,” the IMD said.
The Met department has warned of storm surges inundating low-lying areas of Maharashtra.
Units of NDRF and Indian Navy have been deployed at various locations around Mumbai and places along Maharashtra and Gujarat.
NDRF Commandant Anupam Srivastava said that 20 teams have been deployed across the state, which includes five teams that were airlifted from Visakhapatnam, to assist in the evacuation operations.
The civic body has also directed the contractors of the respective healthcare facilities to again review the safety and stability of the structures set up by them.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earlier in the morning shifted the inmates of the Byculla Zoo including tiger, leopard, hyena, various reptiles and others, into their holding areas at the zoo.
BMC has put out a list of dos and don”ts for citizens, urging them to stay away from windows, check for gas leaks and keep mobile phones charged.
Nisarga comes less than two weeks after cyclone Amphan hit country”s east coast affecting West Bengal and Odisha leading to deaths and loss of property.
According to weather office, weather remains cloudy in the coastal districts of South Gujarat since today morning. Light showers continued in union territory Daman and coastal districts including Valsad, Tapi and Navsari.

High tides were seen in the Arabian Sea near Daman as well as Devbhoomi Dwaraka. Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar said that over 50 thousand people from the low lying areas of south Gujarat have been shifted to safe locations. Mr Kumar said the Industrial units in Vapi will remain closed today.

All the safety measures have been put in place in the chemical industries of Surat and Valsad. 15 teams of NDRF have been deployed in the coastal areas of the state to tackle any unforeseen situation.