After sounding an alert for the ensuing cyclone Nisarga, the Gujarat government has appealed to the residents of six coastal districts in the State not to venture out on June 3 and 4. Rescue teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are being deployed in the likely-to-be affected districts.

At a high-powered meeting held in Gandhinagar on Monday, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani reviewed the rescue and safety preparedness of the administration in the wake of the approaching cyclone. The State has sounded high alert for four coastal districts in South Gujarat and alert for two districts of Saurashtra.

The Nisarga cyclone is expected to hit between the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra by midnight of June 3. Heavy rains are expected to lash the coastal districts of Bhavnagar, Amreli in Saurashtra and Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Dang, Bharuch districts in South Gujarat apart from Daman. The wind-speed is expected to be around 90-110 km per hour.

“We have deployed 10 NDRF teams and 5 SDRF teams in the low-lying areas of these districts for quick rescue operations. Hospitals in these districts — especially those having Covid-19 patients — have been asked to stay alert and make arrangements for the alternate power supply including generators in the event of a power failure due to cyclone,” Rupani said. The district authorities have been asked to evacuate people from the low-lying areas by noon on Tuesday.

Each district will have an operational 24x7 district control room apart from a State emergency control room. Pankaj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, stated that as per the standard protocol amid Covid-19 outbreak, all the rescue teams will be equipped with protective gears such as masks, PPE kits and sanitisers.

Shelter homes are being prepared in schools in the said districts in the probable impact area. Since there are notified Covid-19 containment areas in some of these districts, a list of Covid-19 patients and suspected patients is being prepared to identify them quickly when the cyclone hits.

Fishermen along the cost of Gujarat have been asked not to venture into the sea and those already in high seas are being asked to return.

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