Cyclone Nivar: Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba reviews preparations; assures Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh of full support

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: In view of Cyclonic storm ‘Nivar’, Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired the meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Tuesday through video conferencing with the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh and Secretaries of different ministries. 

Gauba said that the main aim should be to ensure that there is no loss of life, the damage is minimum and normalcy is restored in power, telecom and other important sectors in the shortest possible time after Cyclone Nivar makes landfall.

The Chief Secretaries informed the NCMC about their preparedness. DG, IMD briefed the committee about the latest situation of Nivar cyclone. 

DG, NDRF informed about the preparedness to meet the situation in next three days and said that 30 teams of NDRF have so far been deployed and 20 additional teams have been kept on standby for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. 

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea and the people in coastal areas are also being evacuated to shelter houses. The Cabinet Secretary assured all necessary Central assistance to the state governments to overcome this situation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day spoke to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry regarding the situation in the wake of Cyclone Nivar and assured them of all possible support from the Centre.

Cyclone Nivar is expected to intensify into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram with a wind speed of 120-130 km per hour on Wednesday evening, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

The IMD had initially predicted that Cyclone Nivar was likely to intensify into a 'severe cyclonic storm' but has now estimated that it will intensify further. Nivar is the second cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this year. In May, Cyclone Amphan had developed into a 'super cyclonic storm'.

"Our forecast is it will intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by (Tuesday) tonight. It is very likely to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during 25th November late evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kilometers per hour gusting to 145 kmph," IMD Director-General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.

Besides strong winds, the cyclone is also expected to bring heavy rains. The IMD has issued a red alert for coastal and north interior Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, for November 25, the top meteorologist said.

"Isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity also very likely over coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Perabalu districts during 24th and Kadalur, Kallakurchi, Puducherry, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu to Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karaikal districts during 25th) and over Nellore and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh on 25th and over Rayalseema and southeast Telangana on 26th November," the IMD said.

He added that cyclone leads to a multi-hazard scenario. In event of the cyclone, there could be serious damage to thatched huts, disruption of power and communication lines, damage to roads, uprooting of trees. There could be damage to horticulture crops like banana and papaya.

The IMD has also suggested total suspension of fishing operations and motorboats and small boats, shifting of people residing in coastal areas to safer places, judicious regulation of road, air and rail traffic. He said the IMD will issue hourly updates from November 25 when the cyclone crosses the coast. 

Meanwhile, nearly 1,200 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers have been deployed in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry and 800 others are on standby in view of cyclone Nivar, the "very severe cyclonic storm" which is expected to make landfall Wednesday evening.

NDRF chief S N Pradhan also said they are prepared for a "high level of intensity and the worst form" of the cyclonic storm as it surges from the Bay of Bengal towards the southern coastline. "We are keeping a close watch on the development and we are coordinating with the affected states," he told a press conference here.

In a related development, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami declared a state-wide public holiday on Wednesday as Cyclone Nivar is expected to cross Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram tomorrow evening.