Highlights: ‘Worst has passed’, says NDRF chief on Cyclone Nisarga situation

The National Disaster Response Force chief SN Pradhan said that the worst is over and that the cyclone situation was well negotiated because of timely preparations and coordination between central and state authorities.

Extremely heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Raigad, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik districts & heavy to very heavy rainfall in Thane, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Ahmednagar, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara districts in Maharashtra during the next two & half hours: IMD

According to latest update from the Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's office, the death toll due to Cyclone Nisarga has reached to two.

No major damage from Cyclone Nisarga was reported in Gujarat where the state government as a precautionary measure had evacuated over 63,700 people from coastal areas, officials said on Wednesday.

Flight operations at the Mumbai airport have resumed which were suspended at 2.30 pm as a precautionary measure against Cyclone Nisarga.

At least 10,000 evacuees from low-lying areas in Mumbai who were shifted to safer shelters in view of Cyclone Nisarga will be screened for Covid-19 symptoms before being permitted to go home, the city’s municipal commissioner said Wednesday.

Mumbai airport will resume operations on Wednesdady evening. According to airport sources, 13 arrivals and 18 departures (including all cargo flights) operated at CSMIA before 2.30pm. Three flights had to be diverted. Ethiopian flight cargo from Adis Ababa, two Emirates cargo went back to Dubai and SpiceJet Jaipur- Mumbai 1057 had to be diverted to Surat. The flight will land in Mumbai after 6pm.

One death has been reported from Alibag in Raigad. According to District collector Raigad Nidhi Choudhary, a 58-year-old man died after an electric pole fell on him at Umte village in Alibag. No other death reported so far across the district, she said.

After storming the Maharashtra coast with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph on Wednesday afternoon, Cyclone Nisarga has started weakening and its intensity will reduce further by evening, the India Meteorological Department said. The landfall of the cyclone began at 12.30 PM at Alibaug and the process was completed by 2.30 PM, IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.

The cyclone will further weaken into a cyclonic storm by evening and into a deep depression by late night, an IMD bulletin said.

As cyclonic storm Nisarga lashed the coast of Maharashtra on Wednesday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar urged his party workers to help people at the time of the natural disaster.

In a statement, Pawar noted that the cyclone has caused severe damage to public and private properties and asked NCP workers to help those affected by the phenomenon.

No untoward incident has been reported in southern coast of Gujarat so far on due to Cyclone Nisarga, whichmade landfall in Maharashtra, a senior official said. Authorities have so far shifted more than 63,700 people living close to the coast in eight districts to safer places as a precautionary measure, he said, reports PTI.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the state administration to maintain operational readiness and ensure immediate rescue works as the cyclonic storm moves from Mumbai and Thane to North Maharashtra. The Chief Minister's Office said that Thackeray is in constant touch with with collectors of districts on the western coast of the state for updates about the impact of Cyclone Nisarga, reports PTI.

Nidhi Choudhari, District Magistrate of Raigad said that mobile network services have been disrupted in some parts due to the impact of Cyclone Nisarga, reports ANI.

Mobile network services disrupted in some parts of Raigad district: Nidhi Choudhari, District Magistrate #Maharashtra #CycloneNisarga pic.twitter.com/oAKPtV3JoF

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2020

The India Meteorological Department said that the landfall process of Cyclone Nisarga will be completed in one hour and it will move further and weaken into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours, reports ANI.

The rear part of the wall cloud region is still over the sea and the landfall process will be completed in one hour. Its current intensity near the centre is 90-100 kmph to 110kmph. It will move northeastwards and weaken into a cyclonic storm during next 6 hrs:IMD#CycloneNisarga pic.twitter.com/szSTwVb40N

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2020

Police said hundreds of people living near various beach areas in Mumbai are being shifted to safer places in vie of Cyclone Nisarga which has begun its landfall process. Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are taking all precautionary measures to minimise damage caused by the cyclone, an official said , reports PTI.