Strong winds, rains lash Kutch & Saurashtra as cyclone makes landfall in Gujarat

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat on Thursday evening with a wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph as heavy rains lashed the coastal region, where several areas plunged into darkness due to power cuts and a large number of trees, electric poles and hoardings got uprooted.

A relief and rescue operation was underway with multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) deployed in the affected districts, while and Armed Forces were on standby for any emergency situation, officials said. Biparjoy (meaning disaster or calamity in Bengali) unleashed destructive wind speed and incessant rains as trees and electricity poles were uprooted, while seawater entered villages located in low-lying areas, they said.

Several areas plunged into darkness due to power cuts, the officials said, adding so far, there were no reports of any loss of life. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the situation and the rescue and relief operation at the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar.

Read | Cyclone Biparjoy: 10 things to know

The landfall process of the 'very severe cyclonic storm' commenced at around 6:30 pm along the coast of Saurashtra-Kutch, and was likely to be completed over land by midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest update. The eye of the cyclone, which was churning across the Arabian Sea for more than 10 days, was located around 20 km southwest of Jakhau port, 120 km northwest of Devbhumi Dwarka and 50 km west-southwest of Naliya, the Met department said.

"The landfall of the cyclone will continue till midnight after which it is likely to convert into 'cyclonic storm' by tomorrow (Friday) morning," IMD Ahmedabad director Manorama Mohanty said. Landfall indicates a cyclonic storm moving over land after being over water. "By midnight, the intensity of wind will reduce as the cyclone converts to 'severe cyclonic storm.'

It will further reduce by Friday morning and become normal by tomorrow evening," she said. Some part of the eye of the cyclone, which is of around 50 km diametre, has entered the land near Jakhau port and is moving in the north-east direction, said Mohanty. "Some more part of the eye remains and will enter by around 11 pm. The entire system will enter land around midnight," she said. While approaching the Gujarat coast, the cyclone moved with a speed of 13 kmph.

During the landfall, the wind speed was 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph, the IMD said. It has defined Saurashtra-Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts as the area of the landfall of the cyclone, and area near Jakhau port between Mandvi in Kutch district and Karachi in Pakistan as the landfall point. The cyclone will bring heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rainfall at a few places in districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar, and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagadh districts, said the IMD.

It also forecast gale wind speed reaching 115-125 kmph gusting to 135 kmph along and off Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar coasts. 'Astronomical tide' of up to 3-6 metres in different places along Gujarat coasts was likely to inundate the low-lying areas during landfall, it said. Tides of up to 7.5 metres were recorded at Navlakhi in the region, and 6.8 metres near Deendayal port, the met department said.

The state government said it has deployed 631 medical teams and 504 ambulances in the eight affected districts to meet all possible contingencies. The state administration said that till Thursday evening it shifted more than 94,000 persons living in the eight coastal districts to temporary shelters.

Apart from teams of NDRF and SDRF, Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force (BSF) are geared up for relief and rescue operations, officials said. The Army has deployed 27 relief columns across Gujarat -- at Bhuj, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Dhrangadhra as well as forward locations at Naliya, Dwarka and Mandvi, defence PRO N Manish said. The IAF has kept one helicopter on standby each at Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

The Indian Navy has positioned 10-15 teams each consisting of five people of diverse and good swimmers at Okha, Porbandar and Bakasura for rescue and relief, Manish said. Eight Indian Coast Guard stations in Gujarat have been kept in the highest states of readiness with 15 ships and seven aircraft for at search and rescue operations. In addition, 23 disaster relief teams have been positioned, the PRO said.

The BSF has mobilised requisite resources for rescue operations and established coordination with civil administration for support to local population, with about 50 villagers of Gunao village located close to Jakhau coast shifted to its outpost, it said. Until 7 pm, there was no report of any loss of life, said Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said.

"Three persons sustained injuries in Devbhoomi Dwarka district after a tree fall and they are being treated. Teams of the Gujarat police, the NDRF and the Army are working at ground level in different parts of Dwarka to remove uprooted trees and electric poles," Sanghavi said. The information and broadcasting ministry has asked media organisations, including television channels, to take "abundant precaution" while deploying their personnel to cover cyclone Biparjoy to ensure their safety.

Fishing boats have been anchored, large ships sent to high seas, more than 4,000 hoardings taken down and salt pan workers and pregnant women have been taken to safer places as authorities have evacuated about 1 lakh people in Gujarat in the wake of the cyclone 'Biparjoy', NDRF DG Atul Karwal said in New Delhi.

The head of the federal contingency force said the NDRF has also kept on alert 15 teams in the north, east and south of the country to airlift them and reinforce the strength of the teams which have been earmarked for cyclone relief and rescue work in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"We have 18 teams deployed and kept on stand-by to undertake quick rescue operations in Gujarat," he said.

"Our aim is to ensure that the loss of lives and property remains minimum and we have equipped our teams with tree and pole cutters to ensure communication links are kept open and restored quickly once the cyclonic effect is over," said Karwal.