'Nisarga' to have "negotiable" wind speed but will evacuate people as precaution: NDRF DG

NDRF Director General SN Pradhan on Monday said cyclone 'Nisarga' will have "negotiable" wind speed but the evacuation of people will start from the coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat as a precautionary measure. 21 teams of NDRF have been deployed in both the states and 10 teams are on standby, Pradhan said.

'Still, as a precautionary measure...'

"Nisarga is a severe cyclone. We are expecting a wind speed of 90-100 kph, which I think is negotiable. Still, as a precautionary measure, we are going to start the evacuation of people from the coastal areas of the two states soon," said Pradhan.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a high-level review meeting with officials of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and Indian Coast Guard on their preparedness for dealing with cyclone Nisarga, which is expected to make landfall on June 3.

Home Minister Shah holds high-level meeting

Later, Shah also held a video conference meeting with Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra Vijay Rupani and Uddhav Thackeray respectively and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful Patel and assured them all central help in view of the impending cyclone. The Home Minister asked them to spell out in details the requirements and resources needed to deal with the situation.

NDRF has already deployed 13 teams in Gujarat including two kept as reserve and 16 in Maharashtra including seven teams as a reserve. One team each was deployed for Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. NDRF is aiding the state governments for the evacuation of people from low lying coastal areas.

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The IMD has informed the well-marked low-pressure area over South-East and adjoining East-Central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area concentrated into a depression, which is very likely to intensify into a deep depression during next 12 hours and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the East-Central Arabian Sea during the subsequent 24 hours.

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(With agency inputs)