Cyclone Biparjoy Likely To Make Landfall in Gujarat; PM Modi Reviews Preparedness

As Cyclone Biparjoy is predicted to make landfall in Gujarat in the next 24 hours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a review meeting to take stock of preparedness and necessary arrangements being made to counter the impacts of weather conditions in the western state.

Meanwhile, as part of the safety measures, fishing activities along Gujarat’s south and north coasts have been suspended. Authorities have also begun evacuating people in districts by the sea in view of Biparjoy which is likely to make landfall along the Saurashtra-Kutch coasts as a very severe cyclonic storm on Monday.

Officials in coastal Devbhumi Dwarka told PTI that around 1,300 people have been shifted to safer places so far.

In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the June 15 noon as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph.

On Sunday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed the preparedness of different wings of the central government and the Gujarat administration to counter Cyclone Biparjoy, PTI reported.

The meeting was attended by the National Executive Committee to review the preparedness of the central ministries, agencies and the government of Gujarat to deal with the impending cyclone.

As far as safety measures are concerned, it was also reported that adequate numbers of teams and assets of the National Disaster Response Force, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are being deployed to assist the Gujarat government in their preparedness, rescue and restoration efforts.

Earlier, the Gujarat government assured that the state is prepared to tackle any exigency or untoward condition that arises as a backdrop of the cyclonic activities.

Section 144 Imposed in Kutch

As the Gujarat administration braces for cyclone ‘Biparjoy’, the coastal Kutch district on Monday imposed section 144 on coastal villages across Kutch district where the cyclone will have a severe effect and entry has been restricted to areas likely to be affected.

BJP has cancelled all its rallies in the state in the wake of the cyclone warning.

(With agency inputs)