In the wake of the intensified cyclonic storm ‘Nivar’, the District Magistrate (DM) in Puducherry ordered the imposition of Section 144 from November 24 (9 pm) till November 26 (6 am) on Tuesday, ANI reported.

All the shops and establishments in the entire Puducherry region will remain closed, however, milk stations, petrol stations & pharmacies will continue to operate, as per the notice by the DM.

Meanwhile, CM V Narayanasamy reviewed preparations in coastal areas for the cyclone. “All departments are on high-alert & will work in close coordination for restoring electricity, water etc. We’re working overtime to ensure that there’s no loss of life,” he said.

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into the cyclonic storm ‘Nivar’ and it is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on November 25, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) department said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Puducherry CM Narayanasamy over the situation to combat the impact of Cyclone Nivar.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also released guidelines about the safety measures people need to follow during such time.

Also read: Explained: How cyclones are named

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 30 teams to launch rescue and relief operations for the two states and the union territory, in view of the cyclone ‘Nivar’.