Cyclone Biparjoy: Thousands moved to safer areas off Gujarat coast; Landfall is likely on June 15

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: The IMD on Monday said that in view of the possibility of severe cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ in the Arabian Sea to hit the western state on June 15, the administration will start evacuating people from villages located within 10 km from the coast in Kutch-Saurashtra districts of Gujarat from Tuesday. Will give Efforts are underway to mitigate the impact of the approaching cyclone, which is likely to make landfall in coastal districts near Jakhau port in Kutch district on Thursday afternoon with winds gusting up to 150 kmph. Officials said activities in port areas.

He said around 7,500 people living in low-lying areas near the coast have already been shifted to safer places in the state.

PM reviewed the situation

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed officials to ensure the safe evacuation of people living in vulnerable places in the path of the cyclone. The PM chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the Center and the Gujarat government to deal with the situation.

Gujarat Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey told reporters in Ahmedabad that the state government was working tirelessly to ensure that there was no loss of life. He said that a dozen teams each of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in the cyclone-affected districts and arrangements for accommodation, food and medicines have been made for the evacuees. Has been. ,

Army, Navy and Coast Guard on stand-by

In addition, the Army, Navy and Indian Coast Guard have been kept on stand-by with the ICG to evacuate 50 personnel from the oil drilling vessel ‘Key Singapore’ off the coast near Dwarka. Pandey said that the evacuation would be done in two phases from Tuesday, in which people living 0 to 5 km from the sea shore would be shifted first. Thereafter, people living within a distance of 5 to 10 km from the coast would be moved to safer places and priority would be given to children, pregnant women and the elderly, the senior bureaucrat said.

ICG said its regional headquarters has launched an operation to evacuate personnel from the oil drilling vessel ‘Key Singapore’. “The rig is 25 miles off Devbhoomi Dwarka in an open sea amidst very rough sea condition and inclement weather caused by extremely severe cyclone ‘Biparjoy’. ICG pressed into service its Advanced Light Helicopter Mk III for the rescue operation and 50 personnel have been deployed. Okha is being moved,” it said in a statement.

Shipping activities at the country’s largest public sector port at Kandla were suspended and around 3,000 people, including workers, were shifted to safer places following the cyclone warning, district administration officials said.

Hundreds of trucks piled up at the Deendayal port in Kandla in Kutch district due to suspension of work in view of the cyclone and warning signal, he said. Deendayal said, “In view of the signal 10 warning, the port has been closed and all boats, ships and boats have been properly anchored in the marked area and 24×7 control rooms have been set up. All workers and fishermen in low-lying areas has been evacuated safely.” Port Authority spokesperson Om Prakash Dadlani said.

thousands were moved to safer areas

Thousands of people living in low-lying areas near the Arabian Sea coast have been shifted to safer places in Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Porbandar districts and preparations are on to evacuate thousands more from Tuesday, officials said.

Around 7,500 people have been shifted to safer places. He said that over 3,000 people were evacuated from 31 villages in Porbandar, while another 1,500 people were shifted to safer places in Devbhoomi Dwarka. “Around 3,000 people, especially fishermen and laborers working at a port, were shifted to Kandla. Residents of some slums near the sea have also been shifted to Mandvi. Within 10 km radius from the coast Around 23,000 people living in the villages will be moved to (temporary) shelter homes from Tuesday, Kutch collector Amit Arora said.

In its latest bulletin, the IMD said that the cyclone moved north-northwest with a speed of seven kmph and lay about 310 km south-southwest of Porbandar, 340 km south-southwest of Devbhoomi Dwarka, 410 km from Jakhau port It was centered in the south-southwest, 430 km to the south. South-west of Naliya and 580 km south of Karachi (Pakistan).

It is very likely to move nearly northwards till 14th morning, then move north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and land near Jakhau port near Mandvi (Kutch) and Karachi (Pakistan) around afternoon of 15th June Crossed the coasts of Pakistan as a very severe cyclonic storm between IMD said, the storm is moving at a speed of 150 kmph with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph.

Fishermen warned not to go to sea

Warning signs have been hoisted at ports and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea. Fishermen who ventured into the sea have been advised to return to the coast. The Center has directed the state government to regulate onshore and offshore activities and mobilize evacuees from the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch districts, including Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagadh and Morbi.

Heavy rain warning issued

The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar on June 15. Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places will occur over other districts of Saurashtra region close to the coast. Rain, it said. The IMD has said storm surge is likely to be about 2-3 meters above astronomical tide, inundation of low-lying areas in some districts at the time of landfall, and wind speed reaching 190 kmph at sea.

The Meteorological Department has warned of wind speed reaching 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph from the morning of June 15, when the cyclone is expected to make landfall. The sea condition is very likely to remain poor to very rough till Wednesday evening, and thereafter improve to high to unprecedented by the afternoon of June 15.

In view of the impending cyclone, the NDRF has deployed two additional teams in Mumbai as a precautionary measure, an official said on Monday. He said NDRF teams have been deployed in Andheri and Kanjurmarg areas in the western and eastern suburbs, respectively, in addition to the three already deployed in the metropolis.