LIVE! How Mumbai police is geared up to handle Nisarga

June 03, 2020 12:58

Red alert is put up on Mumbai's Juhu beach. Photograph: Kunal Patil / PTI Photo.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mumbai police, Pranay Ashok, speaks to Rediff.com about how the force is prepared to meet any eventuality over cyclone Nisarga.

'We are prepared for it ever since indications were given to us yesterday. We have activated our disaster management plan.

'Since last evening, our public announcement systems have been activated. We are using them to make people aware of the situation and asking them to stay indoors. People have been evacuated from certain low lying areas in the city and shifted to safe shelter homes.

'All police personnel have been provided with raincoats and emergency lights.

'We have also kept ourselves ready with disaster management equipment like ropes, hacksaws, hammers, life jackets and tree-cutting equipment so that if there is any problem we can deal with it quickly.

'Traffic diversions have been planned across the city in consultation with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and fire brigade authorities. Two units of the National Disaster Response Force have also arrived.

'We are preventing anyone from coming out of their homes, especially in coastal areas, and an order under Section 144 has already been issued from the midnight of June 2 to June 3. This will help us keep people away from accessing coasts, beaches, promenades and sea faces.

'People are being informed on Twitter and other social media platforms to stay indoors.

'We're also looking into addressing the issues highlighted by the people on our Twitter handle through our main control room.

'As notified by the BMC, the Indian armed forces (the Navy and the Air Force) have also been put on alert. As required, there will be coordinated efforts and effective communications among all the personnel who will be helping in dealing with cyclone Nisarga's landfall.

'Right now the priority is evacuation of people from low-lying and other areas which are prone to inundation in minimum possible time. We are strictly following the protocol (for maintaining social distancing) and maintaining a balance between the two (quick evacuation and maintaining social distance) and as soon as things return to normalcy we will ensure that lockdown guidelines are restored as soon as possible.

'Our strength at the police station level and the reserved forces that we have stands at around 40,000 people, and 50,000 is the sanctioned strength of the Mumbai police and out of that we have close to 40,000 to 45,000 personnel at our disposal.

'All these preparations are made to deal with the landfall and what happens after that.

-- Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

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