Ahmedabad, Jun 14 (PTI) The Gujarat government, with the Centre and World Bank, has built 76 multi-purpose cyclone shelters (MPCS), mainly in coastal districts, to save lives during natural calamities.
Cyclones have become frequent on the 1,600 km-long coastline of Gujarat, and actively relocating people from affected areas to safe locations is crucial before such disasters strike, the state government said in an official release.
Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall on the Kutch coast on June 15 last year, causing widespread devastation in the district and north Gujarat, but with no casualties, while severe cyclonic storm Tauktae struck the state in 2021 and left a trail of destruction in the Saurashtra region.
“During cyclones Biparjoy and Tauktae, more than one lakh people were moved to safe locations, mainly primary schools and other places, to prevent loss of life. The government’s attempt was to build permanent infrastructure that could be used in such times,” it said.
As many as 76 cyclone shelters were built at the cost of Rs 271 crore in 10 districts in the state, it said.
As per the release, 25 shelters were in Junagadh, 29 in Gir Somnath, five in Bharuch, four each in Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka and Kutch, two in Amreli, and one each in Jamnagar, Navsari and Ahmedabad.
These shelters are equipped with community kitchens, providing fresh meals and stand-by medical teams for regular health checks.
Additionally, the government has identified 2,213 safe shelter locations, such as schools and community halls in various talukas under the disaster management plan, it said.
The state government has also prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) to rescue wildlife, including Gir lions and other vulnerable fauna during cyclones.
Specialised rescue teams were deployed at Gir, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Mata No Madh in Kachchh, Barda in Porbandar and other wildlife havens during cyclones, the release said.
As many as 184 teams were constituted to ensure the safety and well-being of Asiatic lions, aided by 58 control rooms dispersed across nine divisions, it said.
Villagers are currently undergoing training and receiving the necessary resources for comprehensive disaster preparedness, the release said.
In 2016, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) initiated the ‘Aapda Mitra’ scheme to train volunteers in every disaster-prone district.
The scheme aims to train 100,000 community volunteers nationwide, and 5,500 ‘Aapda Mitra’ (disaster management volunteers) have been trained so far in 17 districts, it said. PTI PD ARU
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