Amit Shah terms zero casualties during Cyclone Biparjoy a ‘major achievement’

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that it is a big achievement of the Gujarat government that there was no death due to Cyclone Biparjoy even though it had wind speed of 140 kmph. Talking to reporters at Bhuj, the headquarters of Kutch district, he said power would be restored in the affected areas by June 20. The Union Minister said that power supply has been restored in 1,600 villages and fully restored in Junagadh and Porbandar districts. He said that the state government would soon announce a relief package after surveying the damage caused to crops, orchards and fishing boats.

Shah said the state and central governments worked together to successfully face the cyclone. “We can express satisfaction that no one has died due to the cyclone that made landfall at a speed of 140 kmph,” he said. He called it a “huge achievement”. “Not only this, but the number of injured was only 47 and the number of cattle killed was only 234,” Shah said.

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Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau on the Kutch coast on Thursday evening, uprooting trees and electric poles and damaging houses. The Union Minister said that the priority of the government now is to restore electricity, water supply and send people living in shelter homes to their homes. “Those who were shifted will be sent back to their homes in a couple of days,” he added.

Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuously guided the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Gujarat and all government agencies. He said that coming out of this disaster with minimum loss is a great example of effective teamwork. With advance planning and preparation by the state government and central agencies, damage to human and animal life and property was minimised, he said, praising the “zero casualty approach” of the state government.

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He said that the Central teams supported the State Government in ensuring speedy relief and rehabilitation efforts. Shah said that over one lakh people, including 1,152 pregnant women, were shifted to safer places ahead of the cyclone, while 73,000 cattle were also shifted. Earlier, the Union Home Minister conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected districts and visited farmers in coastal Mandvi region and shelter sites in Jakhau.