Palghar District Evacuates Its Residents as Cyclone Nisarga Makes Landfall on June 3

As Cyclone Nisarga approaches Maharashtra, civic authorities of Palghar District are conducting mass evacuations in the region. It is said that a total of 100 fishing boats are still at sea, while 577 have returned so far. Additionally, the authorities are also evacuating 45,000 residents from the beachside shacks and “kuccha” houses that are expected to be on the cyclone’s path.

The IMD (India Meteorological Department) has predicted that the cyclone will hit Palghar on the evening of June 3, so the authorities are currently expected to be conducting evacuations with a sense of urgency. 

It is said that two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have already arrived on the spot for relief efforts in the region. District Collector of Palghar, Kailash Shinde said that the officials have earmarked shelter areas including ashrams, schools, and halls while food will reportedly be provided to the occupants. 

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He added that the NDRF will conduct evacuations in tandem with 100 volunteers in each village as well as the local police and other officials. While there’s no concrete announcement on the running of industries and establishments at the moment, Shinde said “If need (sic) arises, we will announce the closure of all industries on June 3 so that people won't travel for work at these industries.”

Local municipal authorities are believed to be closely monitoring the IMD’s updates on the progression of Cyclone Nisarga. With several parts of Maharashtra expected to be hit first, the after-effects will also be felt in the Mumbai metropolitan region. IMD’s Monday forecast mentions that Cyclone Nisarga will be accompanied by heavy rains and wind speeds of up to 105 kph.

As for the 100 fishing boats that are still at sea in Palghar, it is said that the Coast Guard and other relevant teams have already been deployed to bring them back before it’s too late. Each fishing boat has at least 8-10 crew members, the district collector said.