Cyclone Nivar: Southern Railway cancels seven trains scheduled for Nov 26
Nov 25, 2020
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 25 : In view of Cyclone Nivar, the Southern Railway on Wednesday has cancelled seven trains scheduled for November 26.
Southern Railway in a communication said it had cancelled six pairs of trains and one more train has been cancelled, which was scheduled for Thursday.
"Earlier, Southern Railway has fully cancelled two trains for today (November 25), three for tomorrow (November 26) and one for November 28. A total of five trains partially cancelled," stated Chief Public Relation Officer, B Guganesan.
Meanwhile, IndiGo flights to or from the southern region, mainly Chennai, have been disrupted.
"A total of 49 flights that were scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled. We will monitor the situation and decide on the further course of action for November 26. We are accommodating passengers on next available flights at no additional charges, waiving off cancellation fee and refunding full ticket amount," Indigo said in a statement.
Cyclone Nivar is likely to cross between Mamallapuram and Karaikal during midnight of Wednesday and early hours of November 26, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Earlier at 2.30 am, Cyclone Nivar moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 6 kmph and lay centred in southwest Bay of Bengal, said IMD.
Meanwhile, rains lashed Chennai as Cyclone Nivar lay 350 km South-East of Chennai moving North-West. "While crossing wind speed likely to touch 145 kmph," said the Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, Chennai.
Meenambakkam in Chennai received 120 mm rainfall from 8.30 AM yesterday to 5.30 AM today, as per
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, while people in coastal areas are also being evacuated to shelter houses.
In view of cyclonic storm Nivar, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting earlier on Tuesday through video conferencing with the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh and Secretaries of different ministries. The chief secretaries informed the NCMC about their preparedness. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra briefed the committee about the latest situation of Nivar Cyclone.
NDRF DG informed about the preparedness to meet the situation in next three days and said 30 teams of NDRF have so far been deployed and 20 additional teams have been kept on standby for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.
The chief secretaries informed the NCMC about their preparedness, while the IMD DG briefed the committee about the latest situation of the cyclone.
"The National Disaster Response Force DG also informed the meeting about the preparedness to meet the situation in the next three days. As many as 30 teams of the NDRF have so far been deployed in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh and 20 additional teams have been kept on standby," an official release of Ministry of Earth Science read.
