Cyclone Nisarga: Mumbai civic body BEST prepares to deal with power supply

The civic agency has further directed all hospitals in the city to ensure that their generators are in working order and there is an uninterrupted power supply so that the treatment of patients is not affected in any manner.

In preparation to deal with the impact of cyclonic storm Nisarga, authorities in Mumbai are putting together a team to deal with the power situation in the city.

A senior health official said that Cyclone Nisarga is a major challenge for the health facilities Mumbai while they are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The Brihanmumbai Electricity and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, which supplies power to Maharashtra’s capital , is creating a team of “stand-by engineers” who will ensure supply restoration in case of a power failure, especially for hospitals and centres dealing with Covid-19 pandemic.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has declared Nisarga as a cyclonic storm. It said that the tropical storm which started as a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea, turned into a cyclone on Tuesday afternoon. It is expected to make a landfall very close to Alibagh, 94 km south of Mumbai, on the afternoon of June 3.

Scientist said the cyclone could inundate low-lying areas especially in cities like Mumbai and cause damage from falling trees and power poles. This had raised concerns about how Mumbai, among the worst-affected in the country by the coronavirus disease, will cope.

Mumbai’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has also advised people to stay away from the sea and not stand under trees and power poles. The civic body’s advisory has also asked Mumbaikars not to step out of their houses.

The civic agency has further directed all hospitals in the city to ensure that their generators are in working order and there is an uninterrupted power supply so that the treatment of patients is not affected in any manner. A senior health official said that Cyclone Nisarga is a major challenge for the health facilities while they are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from HTC, Mumbai)