New Delhi: Eight thousand people have been evacuated from within ten kilometres of the Gujarat coast and shifted to safer locations, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Kutch Tuesday, briefing the media about precautions taken in the face of the approaching cyclone “Biparjoy”.
The Union health minister said nearly 1.5 to 2 lakh small and big animals had also been moved. Mandaviya said all agencies, including the central and state governments, the forces and disaster management authorities were working together to minimise the impact of the extremely severe storm.
While the cyclone is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district off the Gujarat coast, evacuation efforts will pick up on Tuesday – particularly from the coastal districts of Kutch, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh, and Morbi.
In its latest post, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm “lay centered at 0230 IST of the 13th June, 2023 over Northeast and adjoining East Central Arabian Sea about 290 km southwest of Porbandar & 360 km south-southwest of Jakhau Port. To cross Saurashtra & Kutch near Jakhau Port by evening of 15th June as a VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm)”.
The IMD on Monday had issued an orange alert for the coasts of Saurashtra and Kutch as “Biparjoy” intensified over east-central and northeast Arabian Sea.
It said Kutch, Jamnagar, Morbi, Gir Somnath, Porbandar, and Devbhumi Dwarka districts were likely to be impacted by the cyclone with heavy rainfall and very high wind speed during 13 to 15 June which could go up to 150 kmph.
The weather office further said sea conditions along and off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts would likely remain “rough to very rough” till Wednesday, and “very rough to high” on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting Monday directed senior officers to take every possible measure to safeguard those living near the coast and ensure essential services were not disrupted. He also said control rooms should function 24/7.
Also read: Orange alert for Gujarat coast as cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ approaches, PM holds meet