Cyclone during Covid: Stormy weather for BMC

Already reeling under the pressure of handling the pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday scrambled to activate its disaster response plan in the face of the likely landfall of Cyclone Nisarga near Alibaug on Wednesday.

Mumbai is likely to experience extremely heavy rain and high speed winds due to the cyclone. It could impact slums, informal settlements, power and water supply, besides causing flooding and tree falls, etc. BMC announced by Tuesday evening that it had identified localities at high risk due to strong winds, low-lying areas likely to be inundated and residents who needed to be moved to safe shelters being readied in municipal schools. So far, other than the 150 Covid-19 patients residing in field facilities, evacuees have not been shifted.

Moreover, the civic body’s emergency helpline for disaster response and Covid-19 related help for patient and bed management - 1916 - operated via 60-odd hotlines from the main disaster control room at BMC headquarters in Fort stopped working on Tuesday evening. It started to work late at night. Officers from the disaster management department remained unavailable for comment.

A senior civic officer said, “The overall preparedness is good because we were getting ready for the monsoon. Trees have been trimmed, dewatering pumps are active, along with measures to handle inundation in low-lying areas. Evacuation plan for residents living along Mithi is activated, landslide-prone areas and dilapidated buildings have been identified.”

However, details of the location of the safe shelters, identified and rescued evacuees remained unavailable. In a press release, BMC said municipal commissioner IS Chahal has instructed all ward officers to identify evacuees and safe shelters, and prepare evacuation plans.

Assistant commissioners of at least three wards that HT spoke to confirmed that all preparations were being made, but evacuees were not actually moved to safe shelters. This will be done if it is absolutely necessary.

An officer said, “I have identified evacuees, and have two-three schools ready as shelters. But social distancing is a must. So they are safe in their homes also. They will be moved immediately if it appears cyclonic conditions are worsening.”

BMC, however, moved 150 odd Covid-19 patients from its temporary jumbo facility constructed at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BMC) to the NSCI dome at Worli, and the NESCO exhibition grounds at Goregaon. A senior civic officer said, “Structural stability of all temporary Covid Care Centres, or health facilities is being checked. But the one at BKC is constructed temporarily in an open ground, to house Covid-19 patients. Other jumbo facilities are in existing buildings.”

In a statement, MMRDA that constructed the facility on its BKC ground, said, “Although the Covid-19 hospital can sustain strong winds of up to 80km-100km per hour, with human lives at stake, as a precautionary measure, all patients (about 150) from the hospital are being shifted by BMC.”

Chahal also instructed all BMC officers to move Covid-19 patients from such temporary erected facilities if necessary, upon conducting stability tests on the structures.

BMC also issued an advisory of dos and don’ts for all Mumbaiites on Tuesday with general instructions on how to stay safe during cyclonic conditions. The civic body also issued a notice to all construction sites to prevent accidents such as dislodging of cranes/scaffolding, possibility of roof blowing away, falling of any construction material, or anything likely to cause damage to human life and property especially which the gusty winds forecast. The notice said, “In case of any such accident which may cause damage to the properties/human lives because of any negligence on your part, you will be held responsible.”

Meanwhile, the Mumbai fire brigade activated its standard operating procedure on Wednesday. Equipped to handle disasters such as tree collapse, house collapse, fires due to short circuit, land slide, and floods due to monsoon, the Mumbai fire brigade said all 35 fire stations are on high alert for disaster response, with 150 personnel on stand-by. It also said 63 fire engines fitted with hydraulic, electrical and mechanical gears for cutting, lifting, spreading, and quenching are on stand-by, along with five rescue vans equipped with pneumatic lifting bags, portable chain saws, various cutters, portable generators, flood lights, and stretchers.

For beach safety, the fire brigade has stationed 96 lifeguards at the six beaches in Mumbai - Girgaum, Dadar, Versova, Juhu, Aksa, and Gorai, with five jet skis, six boats, six kayaks, and two floating stretchers for rescue.

Mumbai will also have eight teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on standby. Three of these teams are already stationed at Andheri, while five more were flown to Mumbai from Vishakhapatnam on Tuesday afternoon. Each team has 45 personnel, and equipment such as tree and pole cutters, rescue boats, life jackets, rescue ropes, breathing apparatus, floaters and life buoys.

In a meeting with Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, Chahal, and other bureaucrats in the civic body on Tuesday, the municipal commissioner informed Thackeray that in light of possibility of torrential rains, dewatering pumps have been installed at potential water storage sites; notices have been issued to all contractors concerned to secure cranes at infrastructure construction sites; lifeguards have been deployed at various intersections and equipment like rescue boats and jet skis have been deployed for flood relief. The department offices have been directed to hold an emergency meeting to ensure there is no risk, the release said.