Cyclone Nisarga: Suresh Prabhu highlights damage along Konkan coast, calls for relief work

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nisarga, which has caused severe devastation along the western coast of India, BJP leader and former Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu took to Twitter on Sunday to direct Maharashtra government's attention to the worst affected areas of the state. He mentioned that many villages are left without electricity and basic necessities due to the trail of devastation that that cyclone has left. 

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited Raigad district on Friday, June 5, to take stock of the damage caused due to Cyclone Nisarga. While acknowledging that it would take 8-10 days to ascertain the quantum of damage, he announced Rs.100 crore to Raigad district as immediate relief.

However, senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday demanded a larger financial package for areas in Maharashtra that were battered by Cyclone Nisarga. He said the Rs 100 crore package announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was "very meagre". 

Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis drew a comparison between the financial assistance provided during his tenure and the one announced by the Thackeray led MVA government.

"The need of the hour is to deviate from the standing orders of NDRF and provide financial assistance. When floods ravaged parts of the state last year, my government gave Rs 4,708 crore to Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur and Rs 2,108 crore to Nashik and Konkan," Fadnavis said.

The Centre had allowed the state to raise loans to the tune of Rs 75,000 crore, and the Maharashtra government should raise funds through loans and provide assistance to people, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly said.

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Cyclone Nisarga

Several regions in the state, including Mumbai, were put on a high alert due to the threat of Cyclone Nisarga. It began the landfall process at about 1 pm on June 3 near Alibaug in Raigad district. After completing landfall, it weakened into a cyclonic storm. 

A few hours after Maharashtra was relatively left unscathed by the cyclone. However, severe damages were witnessed in the districts of Raigad and Ratnagiri. NDRF teams were deployed in several parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat to evacuate people living along the coastline to safer grounds ahead of the cyclone.