Cyclone Biparjoy: Shah to Assess Cyclone-hit Gujarat, Hold Review

Gujarat: Cyclone Biparjoy has caused significant damage in Gujarat, prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit the affected areas and assess the situation. He will be accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The ministers will conduct an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected regions, followed by a review meeting in Bhuj. They will also evaluate the surveillance efforts conducted from Delhi over the past three days.

Although Cyclone Biparjoy weakened after making landfall on the Kutch coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of heavy rainfall in northern Gujarat. Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties in Gujarat due to the cyclone. The state government attributes this achievement to advanced planning and the successful evacuation of over 100,000 individuals to temporary shelters.

The immediate challenges for the Gujarat government include restoring electricity in around 1,000 villages and clearing roads obstructed by fallen trees. Efforts are underway with the deployment of 1,127 teams in various districts, including Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Rajkot, and Porbandar. Additionally, the forest department has removed 581 fallen trees from the roads.

During the evacuation, a total of 109,000 people were shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters. Among them were 10,918 children, 5,070 senior citizens, and 1,152 pregnant women. The cyclone made landfall near Jakhau along the Saurashtra-Kutch coast, bringing heavy rainfall and strong wind speeds of up to 140 kmph.

By Friday morning, the landfall was over, but heavy rainfall persisted in several districts, including Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Morbi. In total, 175 talukas across the state experienced some amount of rainfall during the day. The state power utility, Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited, suffered extensive financial losses with 5,120 electricity poles damaged. While electricity supply was restored in 3,580 villages, approximately 4,600 villages were still without power.

The cyclone resulted in at least 23 injuries and caused damage to numerous houses. Strong winds were also experienced in different regions, with surface wind speeds reaching up to 35-45 kmph and gusts of up to 55 kmph. North Gujarat districts such as Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, and Sabarkantha faced stronger winds of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph.

As the cyclone moves towards south Rajasthan, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned a team in Jalore to address potential flooding caused by heavy rains.

ALSO READ: Meghalaya: Four Minor Killed, Two Injured in Massive Landslide in East Khasi Hills

ALSO WATCH: