No deaths reported due to Cyclone Biparjoy, it's a major achievement: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was a major achievement of the Gujarat government that no deaths have been reported due to Cyclone Biparjoy after its landfall in the state with a wind speed of 140 kmph.

Bhuj (Gujarat): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Gujarat government has achieved a major success as no deaths took place though Cyclone Biparjoy landed with a wind speed of 140 kmph. Speaking to the media in Bhuj, Shah said that electricity in the affected areas will be restored by June 20.

Shah further said that the power supply has been restored in 1,600 villages. The Gujarat government will soon take out a survey of damaged crops, fishing boats and orchards. He also announced a relief package for the affected people. Shah said that the Central and the state governments successfully worked together to face the cyclone.

"It is a major achievement that nobody has died in the cyclone that made a landfall with 140 kmph and the number of injured was only 47 and the casualties of cattle were 234," Shah said. Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau on the Kutch coast on Thursday evening, felling trees and electric poles and damaging houses.

Union Minister said that the restoration of electricity and sending people, who are in shelters back to their homes and water supply, are now the government's priority and the people, who were shifted will be sent back home within a couple of days. Shah further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was continuously guiding the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Gujarat government adding that, it is an example of effective teamwork.

Praising the government, Amit Shah said that the Central teams supported the state government in ensuring fast-paced relief and rehabilitation efforts, he said. More than one lakh people, including 1,152 pregnant women, were shifted to safer locations ahead of the cyclone. Earlier, the Union Home Minister conducted an aerial survey of cyclone-affected districts and visited farmers in the coastal Mandvi area and shelters in Jakhau. (With agency inputs)