Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The union home ministry put its disaster management teams on alert in Maharashtra and Gujarat to meet any eventuality as Cyclone Phyan crossed India’s west coast and weakened into a tropical storm Wednesday evening, bringing with it heavy rainfall.
India’s western coastal states went on a high alert as Cyclone Phyan menacingly moved rapidly over the Arabian Sea Wednesday afternoon, and hit the landfall well before the expected time of late evening.

Government and municipal offices, schools, colleges and private and corporate establishments were ordered shut in Mumbai and people scurried home in pelting rain.

Following the movement of the cyclonic depression, the home ministry has sent advisories to the governments of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the union territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, an official statement said.

“The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been put on the alert,” the statement said.

Simultaneously, to meet any emergency requirement of rescue and relief, the NDRF teams comprising about 400 trained personnel with boats and other equipments, have been pre-positioned in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, it said.

Another 200 personnel have been kept in readiness for Mumbai and the defence ministry has also alerted the Indian Air Force.

The cyclonic system has, however, moved north-eastwards due to which the warning has been withdrawn from Gujarat and Goa.

“The Met Department has alerted Maharashtra on the possibility of heavy rainfall in central Maharashtra region. Ministries of home and defence have kept themselves in readiness to assist in any rescue and relief operations, if required,” the statement said.