Nivar will bring very heavy rainfall and winds somewhere in the range of 120 and 130 km per hour, with gusts of up to 145 km per hour, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai has stated.
Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are preparing for Cyclone Nivar, which has increased into a “severe cyclonic storm”, expected to intensify further and is barrelling towards the southeast coast. The strong cyclone is probably going to hit the coast by midnight or early tomorrow, the Met office stated. The cyclone could hit the coast between Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu (which is about 56 km from the state capital Chennai) and Karaikal in Puducherry. Nivar has carried with it heavy rain and powerful winds in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to guarantee the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments – both have announced today is a public holiday – of all possible help.
1, 000 cusecs excess water will be released from the Chembarambakkam lake outside Chennai this early afternoon. The release is probably going to increase the water flow in Chennai’s Adyar river and individuals living in low-lying territories along the river are being evacuated. Authorities, nonetheless, said there is no need for panic at the moment. Around 2,000 individuals have been evacuated to higher grounds from Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore region.
Bus services in 7 Tamil Nadu districts have been suspended. The state government has said that those associated with essential services will continue to work. Chief Minister Palaniswami urged individuals to remain inside as far as possible and said more than 4,000 “vulnerable” areas had been identified and local authorities have been advised to guarantee peoples’ safety.
With memories of the 2015 floods still vivid, Tamil Nadu is additionally observing four reservoirs – Cholavaram, Poondi, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam – in anticipation of a rapid ascent in water levels. Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar, who directs the state Disaster Management Department, said to NDTV: “We are ensuring clear channels for smooth flow of water and safe storage in large lakes”.
PuducherryChief Minister V Narayasamy said to NDTV on Tuesday that huge gatherings had been prohibited and public moment prohibited from 9 pm to 6 am Thursday. He additionally said non-essential shops and services had been closed; just milk booths, petrol stations, hospitals and pharmacies, and government officials will be permitted to open. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi requested individuals this morning to remain inside and move to more safe locations.
About 1,200 National Disaster Response Force personnel have been sent in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh also, NDRF chief SN Pradhan said to PTI. 12 teams are in Tamil Nadu (six in Cuddalore locale and two in Chennai), three in Puducherry and seven in Andhra Pradesh. An extra 20 teams will be on standby in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha’s Cuttack and Thrissur in Kerala.
The Indian Navy has said it is closely observing the movement of Nivar and is in continuous touch with authorities of both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments. Naval ships, aircraft and rescue and diving groups have been kept on standby.
State governments anticipate widespread damage to power cables and communication networks, with fears that houses in rural regions will be destroyed and trees will be uprooted. The two governments have additionally sounded warnings to fishing communities and moved a large number of individuals from coastal and low-lying territories, which might be hit by tidal waves up to a meter in height.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has additionally sounded an alarm. The state is expected to get heavy rainfall as Nivar moves inland. Nellore and Chittoor areas are on alert, as are sections of Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantpur, with somewhere in the range of 11 and 20 cm of downpour and wind speeds of up to 75 km per hour anticipated.
with IANSinputs
