The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has deployed more than 40 rescue teams in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in addition to more teams that are being airlifted, to carry out rescue missions in the regions slated to be affected by Cyclone Nisarga.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the 'severe' cyclonic storm is expected to make a landfall on the coast of Maharashtra on Wednesday evening.
Authorities have also imposed Section 144 in the beach-facing areas of Mumbai, on the eve Cyclone Nisarga's landfall.
In a stock-taking meeting chaired by Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, it was also revealed that rescue teams of the Indian Army and the Air Force had also been put on standby, besides the Coast Guard already engaged in rescuing fishermen at sea.
"The storm is likely to impact the coastal districts of Raigad, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar in Maharashtra along with Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bhavnagar and Bharuch districts of Gujarat and Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a government release stated on Tuesday.
The meeting, which took place through video conference, was also attended by additional chief secretaries of Maharashtra and Gujarat, advisors to Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Senior officers from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Shipping, Power, Railways, Telecommunications, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Atomic Energy, Chemicals and Petro Chemicals, Civil Aviation, and Health and Family Welfare, among others, also attended the meeting.
"Special efforts may be made to ensure that essential medical services to COVID patients are not disrupted. Agencies were also directed to activate contingency plans to ensure the safety of Power, Telecommunication, Nuclear, Chemical, Aviation and Shipping infrastructure and assets," said the government release.
(with inputs from Devendra Parashar)
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