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.

Upon landfall, Cyclone Nisarga is Ek is  to have a speed of 105-110 kmph and is likely to cause heavy rains in south Gujarat and coastal Maharashtra.

Rains in Mumbai, South Gujarat as cyclone nears land:

Cyclone Nisarga has led to constant drizzling in parts of Mumbai. Areas like Parel, Mulund, Goregaon Vasai Road, Navi Mumbai reported drizzle since early evening. Districts including Palghar, Greater Mumbai, Raigad and Mumbai have been put on alert.

Meanwhile, areas like Valsad, Bhavnagar, and Amreli are also likely to receive showers overnight.

Measures taken by Government to control Nisarga:

As a precautionary measure, people living in non-pucca houses are being shifted to safer locations and slum-dwellers in low-lying areas been asked to evacuate. As many as 50 patients were relocated from the Bandra Kurla Complex COVID-19 hospital to the Goregaon NESCO hospital during the day. The state government has implemented stringent measures along the coastal Konkan region along with Mumbai in view of the approaching cyclone.

"Care is being taken to prevent power outages. Precautions are being taken at chemical units and nuclear power plants in Palghar and Raigad," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said in an update on the cyclone.

NDRF deploys 33 teams in Gujarat and Maharashtra

Meanwhile in Gujarat, the Valsad and Navsari district administrations have started evacuating nearly 20,000 people from 47 villages located close to the state coastline.

Maharashtra prepares for Cyclone Nisarga:

Flight operations in Mumbai were partially hit due to the cyclonic storm approaching the west coast. Vistara put out an advisory saying, flights to/from Mumbai and Goa are likely to be impacted.

After storming the Maharashtra coast with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph in the afternoon, the cyclone has started weakening and its intensity will reduce further by evening, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone is expected to make landfall by early Wednesday. The storm is expected to move towards north and recurve north-northeast later to cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar (Raigad) and Daman by Wednesday afternoon.