Authorities in Puducherry clamped prohibitory orders and said only milk shops, petrol stations and pharmacies will be allowed to operate as Cyclone Nivar is expected to cross the coasts of Tamil Nadu and the Union territory and make landfall on Wednesday evening as a severe cyclonic storm. Puducherry’s district magistrate Purva Garg ordered the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code from 9pm on Tuesday till 6am on Thursday in the entire Puducherry region in wake of Cyclone Nivar.

Garg said in the order that “with a view to prevent danger to human lite and safety do hereby prohibit the presence or movement of one or more persons in public places in the entire Puducherry region and closure of all shops and establishments from 24-11-2020 9.00 PM to 26-11-2020 6.00 AM, subject to further revision”. “This order shall not apply to agencies/officials of the Government involved in the enforcement of law and order and Cyclone duty. Maintenance of essential services like Milk Booth, Fuel Bunk, Pharmacies and Health services are allowed to continue,” her order said.

Puducherry and its suburbs experienced drizzle since Monday night and there was a respite from rain on Tuesday morning. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that the deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal has strengthened into a cyclonic storm Nivar and it hovered 450km southeast of Chennai.

Cyclone Nivar is expected to cross the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and make landfall between Mamallapuram and Karaikal on Thursday evening as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110kmph gusting to 120kmph.

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