Families along Alibag shore had no idea about cyclone

On early Wednesday morning Bhim Rao, 25, and his wife, both Alibag residents who live less than 200 metres from the shoreline, looked surprised and confused when

On early Wednesday morning Bhim Rao, 25, and his wife, both Alibag residents who live less than 200 metres from the shoreline, looked surprised and confused when they heard that nearby villages were being evacuated due to an approaching cyclone.

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Rao said he had heard about the cyclone on television but had no clue that it was heading straight for Alibag. “No announcement, warning or information has been shared with us so far,” he said.

Same was the case with Rao’s neighbours Keshav Meyar, 28, and his six other family members as well as Brijesh Sharma, 46, and his wife. When HT approached them, all three families were busy discussing the impact of Covid-19 on early Wednesday morning blissfully unaware of cyclone Nisarga’s landfall near Alibag.

The three families live at a secluded section of Varsoli Beach in Alibag, which is less than 2 km from the Raigad district administration office. “We have no clue where we have to go now in order to ensure we are safe from the cyclone,” said Sharma.

Meanwhile, when the district administration was asked about the three families at Varsoli Beach, Sagar Pathak an official from the Raigad district collector’s office issued a slew of instructions to his junior officers. “We will ensure the three families are evacuated,” he said adding, “Numerous warnings to evacuate have been issued to all residents living close to the coast, but some are not following directions. We are following up on every case.”