Indian Air Force has set up a disaster management unit with 10 helicopters on standby in Puducherry to help rescue teams reach out and undertake relief work swiftly in the Union territory and neighbouring Tamil Nadu that are in the path of very severe cyclone Nivar.
By the time you read this, Nivar would have made landfall. But at 8.30pm on Wednesday, the weather system was at 80km east southeast of Cuddalore, 85km east southeast of Puducherry and 160km south southeast of Chennai. It was expected to make a landfall around 2am between Karaikal and Mamallapuram. Wind speeds at Puducherry were expected to be 120-130kmph gusting to 145kmph.
The Puducherry and Tamil Nadu governments had taken precautionary measures to avoid adverse impact of the cyclone and to prevent loss of lives and livestock.
Puducherry relief and rehabilitation commissioner A Anbarasu told reporters that a team of 100 defence personnel from Chennai had reached Puducherry to help the territorial officials in rescue and relief work. The team comprises representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force and other agencies. Meanwhile, contact was made with fishermen on 10 boats from Karaikal district who could not be traced until Tuesday night. They have been directed to return to the Karaikal harbour or nearby harbours at Pudukottai district in TN.
Anbarasu said more than 500 people living in the coastal regions in Puducherry were shifted to relief centres. Close to 2,000 people living in vulnerable regions were shifted to relief centres before Wednesday evening. Arrangements have been made to perform Covid-19 tests at the 200 relief centres in Puducherry and 50 in Karaikal.
Four NDRF teams have reached Puducherry to assist the territorial officials in rescue work. Three teams with 59 members have been deployed in Puducherry and one team with 20 members in Karaikal.
The UT government declared holiday on November 26 for all government offices and educational institutions in Puducherry and Karaikal. Earlier in the morning, Puducherry and Cuddalore ports hoisted cyclone warning signal number 10, which implies that the regions will experience severe weather.