National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team evacuated local residents near the seashore in Mumbai's Versova on Wednesday to safer places through buses, with the help of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
With Cyclone Nisarga hours away from making landfall, evacuation operations are conducted all across the state by NDRF and BMC.
According to BMC, Mumbai Fire Brigade has been directed to stay alert to respond immediately in case of emergencies. A total of 93 lifeguards have been deployed at six beaches as a precautionary measure.
Besides, eight units of NDRF and five units of the Indian Navy have been deployed at various locations around the financial capital. NDRF has one team each in Colaba (Ward A), Worli (G/South), Bandra (H/East), Malad (P/South) and Borivali (R/North), and three teams in Andheri (K/West), as per BMC.
Around 35 schools have been turned into temporary shelters, and citizens are appealed to relocate there to ensure their safety, stated BMC.
The local authorities have shifted 390 people to a relief camp set at a school in Alibaug, Raigad district, on account of the impending cyclone.
"A total of 13,541 people have been evacuated to safer places in the district," said Nidhi Chaudhary, Raigad Collector.
Spear-heading NDRF Maharashtra, Commandant Anupam Srivastava said that 20 teams have been deployed across the state, which includes five teams that were airlifted from Visakhapatnam, to assist in the evacuation operations.
"Approximately 40,000 people have been evacuated from various sea belts of the state to safer places till now," Srivastava told .
As per the directives issued by the authorities in the wake of the cyclone, fishermen on the coastline between Harihareshwar and Daman have been asked not to venture into the sea.
The cyclone is expected to hit the northern coast of Maharashtra between 1 pm to 4 pm, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
"With high wind speed at 100-120 kmph, cyclone Nisarga will be accomped by heavy rainfall. It should subside by tomorrow morning," said Shubhangi Bhute, Scientist, IMD Mumbai.
In a list released by the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office of '"DO's & DONT's to stay safe", people are advised to stay indoors or relocate to an "administration-determined" location.
( With inputs from ANI )