The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management cell alerted Collectors of both the island city and the suburbs, Mumbai Police and fire brigade, to keep on eye on weather bureau warnings and evacuate people, especially from slums near the coast, which are at greater danger.
If a cyclone hits, among the hardest hit will be Colaba’s Geeta Nagar, Worli village, Nariman Baug, Juhu, Versova, Seven Bungalows (Andheri), and Santacruz 17th and 18th roads.
“The BMC has also instructed assistant municipal commissioner of all wards to monitor the situation and be alert for the two to three days,” said Mahesh Narvekar, chief of the BMC’s Disaster Management Cell.
“The state government has been monitoring the situation closely since morning. I have alerted all coastal area collectors and the Mumbai municipal commissioner to gear up for heavy rainfall, which may lead to water-logging in low-lying areas,” M Ramesh Kumar, principal secretary (relief and rehabilitation) told HT.
“The cyclonic winds were 550 km from Mumbai, near Goa, during the day, but are now moving from south to north, so there is a strong possibility they could touch Dahanu,” Kumar added.
“The BMC, which had removed all water pumps after the monsoon, has been instructed to immediately put them back to handle any water logging,” Kumar said. Fishermen have also been advised not to venture into the sea along and off Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts.
Source : Hindustan Times
