Chennai: Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring Union Territory of Puducherry on Tuesday braced for dealing with Cyclone Nivar, which is expected to make landfall between Karaikal and Mamallapuram and around Puducherry on Wednesday late evening.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami declared a statewide holiday for Wednesday to ensure people remained indoors. The Indian Navy, Coast Guard and National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) along with the police and Fire and Rescue Services were on standby in a state of full preparedness to handle any eventuality.
Meteorological Department officials said that Cyclone Nivar over southwest Bay of Bengal has moved westwards. “It is currently about 380 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 430 km south-southeast of Chennai as on Tuesday. It is expected to grow stronger and become a very severe cyclone by 11.30 am on Wednesday,” an official said.
Indian Meteorological Department Director General Mohapatra told journalists that high tidal waves from 1 to 1.5 metre were expected to inundate low lying areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry near the place of landfall.
Authorities in several coastal districts and port towns hoisted the cyclone warning signal on Tuesday when the State received heavy rains accompanied with strong winds, offering only intermittent relief. Normal life was affected with vehicles stranded on roads due to poor visibility and heavy winds and roads remaining waterlogged including in Chennai and its surroundings.
The Chief Minister, who visited theState Emergency Operations Centre in Chennai, urged the people not to step out unnecessarily when the cyclone would make its landfall. Relief camps have been set up in many parts of the State and all essential supplies including milk would be delivered to those accommodated there upon evacuation, Palaniswami said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Palaniswami and Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy over phone and assured all support from the Centre to handle the cyclone and its impact.
The INS Jyoti ship has been deployed from Visakhapatnam, with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief materials and diving teams to render assistance as required along the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast, a Defence spokesperson said.
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed four offshore patrol vessels at sea for assisting fishermen and merchant ships. Two helicopters are on standby for immediate launch post-landfall of the cyclone for rescue and relief efforts. Three Dornier aircraft are also on standby at Visakhapatnam for surveillance, damage assessment and relief, he said.
