Cyclone Biparjoy to Reach Gujarat on June 15; Over 37,000 People Shifted to Safety

As Cyclone Biparjoy is approaching coast of Gujarat, nearly 37,794 people from coastal areas in the state have been shifted to safe places.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah held a meeting through videoconference on Tuesday to review the preparedness for Cyclone Biparjoy. The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, two Union ministers, several Gujarat ministers and MPs, MLAs and officials from eight districts that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

Cyclone Biparjoy, a “very severe cyclonic storm”, is expected to cross the Gujarat coast on June 15.

Shah asked the Gujarat government to make arrangements for moving people living in sensitive places to safer areas and ensure all necessary services, such as electricity, telecommunication, health and drinking water.

CM Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday night held a high-level meeting to review the preparation by the administration. Top officials including Senior Secretaries, and Chief Secretary briefed the CM at State Emergency Operation Centre.

115 teams of the Roads and Buildings Department, 597 teams of the Power Department are prepared for possible disaster roadblocks, repairs and restoration against adverse effects of the power supply. In Kutch, more than 40,000 food packets, 2,000 kilograms of milk powder, 45,000 tetra packs of milk have been prepared to be distributed to needy people.

An official said several NDRF and SDRF teams are on standby. Simultaneously, Army authorities have jointly planned relief operations with civil administration and National Disaster Response Force. The Army has kept flood relief columns ready at strategic locations.

Here are the latest updates on Cyclone Biparjoy:

The Union Home Minister said that our aim is to ensure ‘Zero Casualty’ and minimize the possible damage caused by the cyclonic storm “Biparjoy”. He said that there is a need to act swiftly on the important directions given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a review meeting chaired by him on June 12.

Ahmedabad IMD director Manorama Mohanty said the cyclone is likely to cross between Mandvi in Kutch and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port with 125-135 kmph wind speed gusting to 150 kmph on the evening of June 15.

A warning has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds in coastal parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region, especially in the districts of Kutch, Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka, the Ahmedabad IMD director said, adding that it will bring heavy to very heavy rain in north Gujarat till June 15-17 after landfall.

The state government is aiming to evacuate people within 10 km of the coast, said State Commissioner of Relief, Alok Kumar Pandey, adding that so far one fatality related to the cyclone has been recorded.

Fishing activities have been suspended till June 16, ports are shut and ships are anchored as the sea turned very rough and the weather became inclement with extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds in the region due to the approaching cyclone.

The government said 17 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 12 of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are on standby in affected districts of Devbhumi Dwarka, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Morbi and Valsad.

The Western Railway has so far cancelled 69 trains and decided to short-terminate 32 and short-originate 26 trains as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers as well as train operations.

CM Bhupendra Patel has appealed to citizens to cooperate with the administration for their own safety and security. In a virtual message, he said the government has planned rescue, relief and rehabilitation with zero casualty approach and appealed to the citizens to follow the instructions of the administration.

Union Power Minister R.K. Singh held a meeting with senior officers of the Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Grid Controller of India and PGCIL for reviewing the preparations for the maintenance of power supply in coastal areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan which are likely to be affected by Cyclone ‘Biparjoy‘.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the preparatory measures being taken by the Centre and the Gujarat administration in view of cyclone “Biparjoy” with his state counterpart Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel in Bhuj on Tuesday.