Energy & Environment
It’s June and probably not the best start to yet another month of the year 2020. The western coat had been hit with yet another severe cyclonic storm since May 20, 2020. Nisarga is said to be the strongest cyclone to ever hit the coast of Maharashtra since June of 1891.
The name “Nisarga” was suggested by Bangladesh. The in Bangla means “Nature”
According to the reports of the Metrological Department, a low pressure was created on May 31, 2020. Due to this low pressure, it went on to create a depression to the east of the Arabian Sea on June 1, 2020. The depression gradually intensified giving rise to a cyclonic storm which was centred about 340 km south-west of Goa and 630km south-southwest of Mumbai and 850km south-southwest of Gujrat. Alerting the authorities and the citizens of the cyclone, on June 1, 2020, 33 National Defence Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in the region. It was predicted to the most destructive cyclone and its wind speeding up to 80-90 kmph. Speeding upto 120 kmph with a radius of 60km, it caused a landfall at Murud in Murud in Raigad district of Maharashtra on June 3, 2020.
Consequently, when the cyclonic storm hit the cost, it made a landfall in Alibag at 12:30pm. Videos of the destruction caused due to storm went viral, one of which depicted a banner falling into an empty plot with flowing traffic beside it. The storm claimed 2 lives and while 3 were injured as it made its way towards Pune. It was the cause of a landfall in the coastal Rigad district of Maharashtra at 1pm. The strong gusty winds made the heavy tin sheets blow away which was a roof over a few resident’s head. In Gujrat 18 teams of NDRF and six teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were sent for rescue operations.
The cyclone is said to have damaged 8,000 hectares of crops in the Rigad district of Maharashtra along with the seven districts of Konkan (including Raigad) and Nashik, Jalgaon and Dhule in north Maharashtra. According reports, the MP of Rigad and NCP leader has demanded a package of whopping 5,000 crore as a relief aid. However, the decision on the relief package is expected to be announced in the coming week. The farmers usually receive 6800 rupees to 18000 rupees per hectare for losses as a compensation while the compensation for repairs, construction of the destroyed buildings ranges within 6000 and 6 lakhs. The state has decided to pay a lumpsum of 4 lakhs as ex-gratia for those who’ve lost their lives battling for survival through the cyclonic storms.