Cyclone: Maha CM reviews situation; over 12,000 people shifted

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took stock of the situation in Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of the state in the wake of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

According to an official statement, 12,420 people living in coastal stretches of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad districts have been shifted to safer places.

These include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri and 144 in Sindhudurg.

Thackeray reviewed the situation in Mumbai, Thane and neighbouring areas and instructed authorities to ensure that the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the region is not affected due to the cyclonic storm, the statement said.

A red alert has been issued for Raigad district, while an orange alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, it said.

A red alert is sounded for rainfall of over 20 cm and an orange alert is for rain between 6 cm and 20 cm.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited the disaster management cell at the state secretariat here and took stock of the relief work. He asked administrations of all coastal districts of the state to remain alert.

Pawar spoke to the collectors of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Palghar, Mumbai (city), Mumbai (suburbs) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal over phone to assess the relief works and preparations in view of the cyclonic storm.

Cyclone Tauktae, which has now intensified into an ”extremely severe cyclonic storm”, is likely to reach Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the state coast between 8 pm and 11 pm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Gusty winds and rains lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas overnight and on Monday morning as the cyclonic storm was heading towards Gujarat, officials said.

Trees were uprooted at several places in Mumbai, they said, adding that no casualty was reported so far.