Amit Shah conducts aerial survey of cyclone Biparjoy-hit areas in Gujarat's Kutch, hails 'achievement'

The Union home minister then flew back to Bhuj and discussed the post-cyclone situation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of areas affected by cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat's Kutch district.

He met injured people at a hospital in Mandvi town and also interacted with farmers and personnel of NDRF and BSF.

Shah landed at Kutch district headquarters Bhuj in a chopper and conducted an aerial survey of Jakhau, which bore the brunt of the powerful cyclone on Thursday night. He was accompanied by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendera Patel.

He visited the Mandvi sub-district hospital and met injured people and pregnant women who were shifted from coastal villages hit by the cyclone, which had made landfall near Jakhau port.

Also Read | No lives lost after Cyclone Biparjoy landfall in Gujarat: NDRF DG

Shah also visited a farm near Mandvi to assess the damage caused to crops and interacted with farmers.

He met personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and the Border Security Force at Mandvi airport who were involved in the relief and rescue operations.

The Union home minister flew back to Bhuj and discussed the post-cyclone situation, and said that it was a major achievement of the Gujarat government that nobody died on account of cyclone Biparjoy which made landfall on the Kutch coast with a wind speed of 140 kmph.

Electricity will be restored in the affected areas by June 20, he said during a visit to Bhuj, the headquarters of Kutch district.

The state government will soon carry out a survey of damage to crops, horticulture and boats and announce a relief package, he told reporters. The state and Union governments worked together successfully to face the cyclone, Shah said.

Not only human deaths were avoided but the number of injured persons was just 47 while only 234 cattle died, he added. Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau on Thursday evening, leaving a trail of destruction in Kutch and Saurashtra regions.

Several towns and hundreds of villages plunged into darkness as strong winds unleashed by the cyclone uprooted electricity poles.

Among 1,09,000 persons shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters, there were 10,918 children, 5,070 senior citizens and 1,152 pregnant women, the government had said in a release.