Cyclone Nisarga weakened in the evening and bypassed Mumbai, sparing the city of damages
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the resilience showed by people and officials helped in "mitigating the intensity" of the Cyclone Nisarga amid the COVID-19 crisis.
After making landfall near Alibaug with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph in afternoon, the cyclone weakened in the evening and moved towards north-east Maharashtra, sparing Mumbai and other areas.
Mr Thackeray said losses have been reported from coastal Konkan and some other regions. He said orders have been issued to carry out spot inspections to assess the damages caused by the cyclone.
"The unity exhibited by the people will help bring Maharashtra out of all crises," the chief minister said in a statement.
He also expressed grief over the two deaths reported from the state due to cyclone-related incidents.
"Thanking all who protected Maharashtra along with Mumbai in the face of the Nisarga cyclone which had hovered over Maharashtra at a time when the state is already grappling with COVID-19. But we all warded it off. The people and administration fought hard and mitigated the intensity of the crisis," the chief minister said.
He said the state cannot thank its civic officials, district administrations, disaster management authority and medical squads enough for their work during the cyclone crisis.
"None can withstand the fury of nature, but Maharashtra is united and strong in the face of crisis and the cyclone has shown this. This unity will help us bring the state out of all the crises," Mr Thackeray said.