Highlight
- Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have declared a public holiday today
- Cyclone Nivar is likely to hit the coast at midnight or early tomorrow
- Bus services suspended in seven districts of Tamil Nadu
Chennai:
The coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are preparing for Cyclone Nivar, which has intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm”, which is expected to intensify further and head towards the southeast coast. The powerful cyclone is likely to hit the coast at midnight or early tomorrow, the Met department said. 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 brought heavy rains and strong winds off the coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to assure the governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, both saying that today is a public holiday, of all possible support.
Here are the top 10 updates on Cyclone Nivar:
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Until last night, it was 380 km southeast of Chennai and 320 km southeast of Puducherry. The cyclone will bring extremely heavy rains and winds of between 120 and 130 km per hour, with gusts of up to 145 km per hour, the Chennai Regional Meteorological Center warned, adding that coastal areas could receive heavy rains until tomorrow. Around 2,000 people have been evacuated to higher ground in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.
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Bus services were suspended in seven districts of Tamil Nadu. The state government has said that those involved in essential services will continue to work. Chief Minister Palaniswami appealed to people to stay indoors as long as possible, saying that more than 4,000 “vulnerable” places have been identified and local officials have been told to ensure the safety of the sites. people.
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“I spoke with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami, and with the Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri V Narayanasamy, about the situation in the wake of Cyclone Nivar. I assured them of all possible support from the Center. I pray for their safety and the well-being of those living in the affected areas, “the prime minister tweeted in English and Tamil.
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With memories of the 2015 floods still fresh, Tamil Nadu is also monitoring four reservoirs, Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam, in anticipation of a rapid rise in water levels. Finance Minister RB Udhayakumar, who heads the state’s Department of Disaster Management, told NDTV: “We are ensuring clear channels for a smooth flow of water and safe storage in large lakes.”
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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayasamy told NDTV on Tuesday that large gatherings and public movement from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday had been banned. He also said that non-essential shops and services had been closed; Only milk stalls, service stations, hospitals and pharmacies, and government offices will be allowed. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi appealed to people this morning to stay home and move to safer places. Puducherry has installed “storm warning cage number 7 in port areas”, which means that the port will experience severe weather due to a light or moderate intensity storm that is expected to cross or approach the port.
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Around 1,200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and neighboring Andhra Pradesh as well, NDRF chief SN Pradhan told PTI. 12 teams are in Tamil Nadu (six in Cuddalore district and two in Chennai), seven in Andhra Pradesh and three in Puducherry. Another 20 teams will be on standby at Odisha’s Cuttack, Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh and Thrissur in Kerala.
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The Indian Navy has said it is closely monitoring Nivar’s movement and is in constant contact with officials from the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments. The boats, planes and rescue and diving teams have been kept on standby.
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State governments expect widespread damage to power lines and communication networks, and fear that houses in rural areas will be destroyed and trees uprooted. Both governments have also warned fishing communities and relocated thousands of people from coastal and lowland regions, which can be affected by tsunamis up to one meter high. An alert has been sounded at the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) in Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam, which is about 20 km from Mamallapuram. Authorities are closely monitoring the weather to take necessary action, officials told the PTI news agency.
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Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has also sounded a red flag. The state is expected to receive heavy rains as Nivar moves inland. The districts of Nellore and Chittoor are on alert, as are parts of Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantpur, with between 11 and 20 cm of rain and wind speeds of up to 75 km per hour are expected. Fishermen have been warned not to go out to sea and floods in low-lying areas have been warned.
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In May, the Amphan “supercyclone” devastated several districts in South Bengal, killing 98 people. Amphan caused massive destruction of property, razed villages, destroyed farms, and left thousands without power.
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