Mumbai: Maharashtra and Gujarat all set to witness the severe cyclonic storm Nisarga, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening near Alibaug, south of Mumbai.
Indian Meteorological department (IMD) declared a red alert in Mumbai for the first such storm to threaten Mumbai in more than 70 years.
Updating about the same, IMD said “Cyclone Nisarga has become a severe cyclonic storm, it’s 200km away from Mumbai. The cyclone is moving northeasterly towards Alibag in Raigad. The severe cyclonic storm is likely to cross south of Alibag between 1 pm to 3pm.”
Notably, at least 100,000 people including some coronavirus patients, were moved to safer locations as India’s west coast braced for a cyclone.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in a televised address, urged people to remain indoors. All activity that was set to resume from Wednesday in the State would remain suspended for two more days, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured to provide all possible support and assistance to Maharashtra and Gujarat.
In Maharashtra, 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and four teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in different coastal areas while five teams have been kept on standby in the wake of the impending cyclone.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government deployed 19 teams of NDRF and SDRF and has started evacuating over 78,000 people from four districts situated alongside the coastline.