Cyclone Biparjoy may cause extensive damage in Gujarat: IMD

With the IMD on Tuesday predicting that Cyclone Biparjoy may cause extensive damage and is likely to impact Gujarat's Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Jamnagar districts, 21,000 residents have been shifted to safer places in the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a review meeting on the preparedness for the cyclone. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and MPs from eight districts in the state virtually attended the meeting.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also reviewed the preparedness in Gujarat and kept all health systems under the Union Health Ministry ready as a precaution.

Also Read | Cyclone Biparjoy won't impact monsoon further: IMD

The cyclone has been moving northwards at a speed of five kilometers per hour, and is centered approximately 290 km southwest of Gujarat’s Porbandar, the IMD (India Meteorological Department) said.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that Biparjoy weakened from an extremely severe cyclone to a very severe cyclone on Tuesday. It is predicted to cross Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat and the adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan near the Jakhau Port (Gujarat) around the evening of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-150 kmph. Rajkot, Morbi and Junagarh may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.

"Its damaging potential could be extensive," he said, adding the cyclone could lead to extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm) at isolated places in Gujarat from June 13 to June 15.

Gusty winds and rain may cause extensive damage to standing crops, houses, roads, electricity and communication poles, and flooding of escape routes.

Sea conditions are phenomenal (waves could be 10 to 14 metres high) in the northeast and the adjoining east-central Arabian Sea. The IMD has recommended total suspension of all activities, including oil exploration, ship movement and fishing, until June 15, the agency said in a statement.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has evacuated a 50-member crew of a jackup rig in Gujarat as a preventive measure. In Gujarat, authorities shifted 21,000 people from coastal areas to temporary shelters. Several NDRF and SDRF teams are on standby.

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in all states has been tasked to conduct post-disaster disease surveillance through the state or district surveillance units for a timely detection of any outbreak of epidemic-prone diseases in the aftermath of the cyclone, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

Indian Railways cancelled 69 trains and short terminated 32 trains in Gujarat as a precautionary measure.

Separately, Union Power Minister R K Singh reviewed the preparations for power supply and quick restoration arrangements for coastal areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

"Emergency Restoration System (ERS) along with necessary men and material to be stationed at strategic locations. Powergrid set up 24X7 control rooms at Manesar and Vadodara and National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) continuously monitoring grid supply in these states for taking timely actions", said a statement from the Ministry of Power.