Ahmedabad: As Cyclone Biparjoy moves closer to Jakhau Port of Gujarat's Kutch district to make landfall later on Thursday night, authorities have shifted more than 94,000 persons living in eight coastal districts to temporary shelters.
Of the 94,427 persons evacuated so far, nearly 46,800 were evacuated in Kutch district, followed by 10,749 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 9,942 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,822 in Rajkot, 4,864 in Junagadh, 4,379 in Porbandar and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district, a Gujarat government release said.
A government official, who gave details of the rescue effort, said those who were shifted to safer places included nearly 8,900 children, 1,131 pregnant women and 4,697 elderly persons. He further said a total of 1,521 shelter homes have been set up in these eight districts. Medical teams are visiting the shelters at regular intervals.
The India Meteorological Department said 'Biparjoy' is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district late Thursday night. MeT department said a "very severe cyclonic storm" with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 140 kilometres per hour will make landfall in the evening. In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the landfall process of the cyclone would begin in the evening and will continue till midnight. The IMD said the cyclone would bring extremely heavy rainfall and cause an astronomical tide' with a storm surge of 2-3 metres height that could inundate low-lying areas in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar and Morbi districts during landfall.
Authorities engaged 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force, 12 teams of the State Disaster Response Force, as well as personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force (BSF), have been deployed for relief and rescue operations.
In Pakistan, around 62,000 people have been evacuated to safer places from southern Sindh province. It is expected to make landfall between Keti Bandar Port in Sindh's Thatta district and Kutch district in India. As Biparjoy inches closer to India and Pakistan, authorities are on their toes to minimise the potential damage it may cause to life and property.
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With the first light of dawn on Thursday, authorities resumed the readiness and evacuation operations along the coastal areas to ensure there is no human loss when the very severe cyclonic storm hits the coast. The state government has evacuated over 74,000 people from vulnerable areas in eight coastal districts to safer places, said a statement from the Chief Minister's office.
The cyclone, expected to make landfall near Jakhau port in Kutch district, has already brought heavy rains and strong winds to parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region. The weather office has sounded an alert for Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman Diu, Lakshadweep, Dadar and Nagarajun Haveli.
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The cyclone system brought heavy rainfall at most places in the coastal areas of Gujarat on Wednesday with very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places. The rainfall intensity would increase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar on Thursday, the Weather Bureau said.
The Indian Navy positioned four ships equipped with HADR bricks, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice. In addition, there are five relief teams stationed at both Porbandar and Okha, along with 15 relief teams at Valsura, prepared to provide aid and support to the civil authorities. Furthermore, helicopters stationed at INS Hansa in Goa and INS Shikra in Mumbai are standing by for immediate transportation to Gujarat.
Administration on its toes- On Wednesday, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, along with senior officers, assessed the situation and reviewed preparedness. At the central level, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh separately examined measures to handle the cyclone's impact. Nine talukas across various districts experienced significant rainfall in the 24-hour period leading up to Wednesday morning.
All flights suspended at Jamnagar Airport: The airport authorities have completed the necessary preparations to tackle cyclone Biparjoy. Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued until June 16, and all flights will remain suspended from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fuel reserves have been stocked up to ensure smooth operations during emergencies.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that Biparjoy will change its path and move north-eastwards towards Kutch and Saurashtra. It is anticipated to make landfall as a very severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds ranging from 125-135 kmph and gusts up to 145 kmph. In response, the Gujarat government has initiated a massive evacuation effort, focusing on the Kutch region, which is expected to be the most affected. People residing within a 10 km radius of the coast are being relocated to temporary shelters.
Alok Kumar Pandey, State Commissioner of Relief, provided an update on the ongoing evacuation, on Wednesday evening stating, "The cyclone is nearly 290 km away from Kutch at present. As a precautionary measure, we have already shifted nearly 50,000 people living in coastal areas to temporary shelters. The evacuation process is still ongoing, and the remaining 5,000 individuals will be relocated to safer places by late evening."
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The evacuees comprise around 18,000 individuals who have been transferred to shelters in Kutch district, while the rest have been evacuated from Junagadh, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Morbi, and Rajkot. Multiple teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and various government departments, have been deployed across different coastal districts to provide relief and support.
Indian Army also readies assistance: The Indian Army has deployed over 27 relief columns across Gujarat as well as at the forward locations of Mandvi, and Dwarka. Army authorities have also jointly started relief operations along with civil administration as well as with the NDRF teams, said Wing Commander N Manish, Defence Public Relations Officer, Gujarat.
Major temples will remain closed today- In view of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy' near Jakhau port, the local administration has decided to keep the famous Dwarkadhish temple in Devbhumi Dwarka district shut for devotees. Sub Divisional Magistrate of Dwarka and administrator of the Dwarkadhish temple trust, Parth Talsania, said the temple will remain shut for devotees and visitors on Thursday.
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The decision was taken for the safety and security of people in view of the cyclone warning, he said. Although devotees will not be allowed into the temple premises, daily rituals will be carried out inside by priests and people will be able to see it live on the temple website as well as social media handles.
In Gir Somnath district, the famous Somnath temple will remain open on Thursday, but the trust managing it has urged the devotees not to visit it.
Rough Seas in Mumbai: Mumbai's iconic 'Gateway of India' witnessed rough seas since Wednesday morning. A high tide was witnessed in Mumbai. The city's neighbourhood areas also witnessed significant rainfall for consecutive two days. The IMD officials attributed the rainfall to the effects of Cyclone Biparjoy.
