Cyclone Nivar hovered 450 km southeast of Chennai on Tuesday and is expected to make a landfall between Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in Puducherry on November 25 evening as a "severe cyclonic storm", according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong winds, are likely to occur in Chennai and its districts like Cuddalore, Pudukottai and Villupuram, and coastal parts of Tamil Nadu during the next 24 hours as an effect of the cyclone, the IMD said. The state government has sounded an alert in the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu.
Governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are preparing to deal with the cyclone which is expected to make landfall and.
PM Modi assures support
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and assured them of all assistance from the Central government.
People in low-lying and flood-prone areas are being shifted to relief camps with food and necessary medical aids. Authorities have warned of damage to thatched roofs, kuchcha roads, waterlogging, suspension of electricity and uprooting of trees.
Full list of helpline numbers
Tamil Nadu government has released a list of dedicated helpline numbers for each affected district. Here is the full list:
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has committed 30 teams for relief and rescue operations in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. "We have 9 teams in Puducherry & Tamil Nadu combined. One NDRF battalion is at Arakkonam and another is at Vijayawada," said NDRF Director-General SN Pradhan.
In Chennai, civic workers have been pressed into action to clear the waterlogged roads.
Authorities in Puducherry district have imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC which will remain in effect between 9 pm of November 24 and 6 am of November 26 in the wake of cyclone Nivar. All shops & establishments will remain closed. Only milk stations, petrol stations & pharmacies are allowed to operate.
Southern Railway has cancelled a few train services. Inter and intrastate bus services have also been cancelled in several districts of Tamil Nadu. Fishing operations are completely suspended.
On November 23, Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba today chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review the status of impending Cyclone through video conferencing with the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
