Jakhau/Ahmedabad: Ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall on Thursday, several parts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka and Amreli received heavy rainfall ranging from 10-20 mm in six hours till Thursday noon. Eight districts and 442 low-lying villages are expected to be affected by strong rains and floods that could be triggered by the cyclone.
Landfall to continue to midnight
The India Meteorological Department said 'Biparjoy' is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district late Thursday night as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 140 kmph, due to which more than 94,000 persons in eight coastal districts have been shifted to temporary shelters.
In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the landfall process of the cyclone would begin in the evening and will continue till midnight.
The IMD said the cyclone would bring extremely heavy rainfall and cause 'astronomical tide' with a storm surge of 2-3 m height that could inundate low-lying areas in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar and Morbi districts during landfall.
The cyclone, which is located 180 km from Jakhau and is likely to cross in the evening, will bring extremely heavy rainfall in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar, with wind speeds remaining high even on Friday despite reduction in intensity, IMD Ahmedabad director Manorama Mohanty said.
IMD officials said, apart from Saurashtra-Kutch, other districts of Gujarat were also likely to receive light rainfall with surface wind speed gusting to 40 kmph.
'Biparjoy', pronounced 'Biporjoy', is a name given by Bangladesh and in Bangla it means 'disaster'. The naming of cyclones by various countries is undertaken as per the protocol issued by the World Meteorological Organisation.
NDRF, SDRF, Army deployed
Officials said 15 teams of he National Disaster Response Force, 12 teams of the State Disaster Response Force as well as personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed for relief and rescue operations.
In view of the cyclone causing huge tides, people have been barred from going near the sea, with lifeguards being deployed at all beaches, the officials added.
In the neighbouring Maharashtra, out of the total 14 NDRF teams, five have been deployed in Mumbai while the rest have been kept on standby, the officials said.
Each of these teams have about 35-40 personnel and they are equipped with tree and pole cutters, electric saws, inflatable boats and basic medicines and relief items.
"The Army has deployed 27 relief columns in Bhuj, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Dhrangadhra as well as forward locations at Naliya, Dwarka and Mandvi. The Air Force has kept one helicopter each on standby at Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Delhi. The Navy has positioned 10-15 teams, each consisting of five diverse and good swimmers, at Okha, Porbandar and Bakasura for rescue and relief," an official said.
"Four inflated boats to carry 10-12 people have also been kept ready. Eight Coast Guard stations in Gujarat are in the highest state of readiness with 15 ships and seven aircrafts for search and rescue operations. In addition, 23 disaster relief teams have also been positioned," the official said.
The Border Security Force has mobilized requisite resources for rescue operations and established coordination with civil administration to provide support to the local population, an official said, adding that 50 residents of Gunao village near Jakhau coast had been shifted to its outpost.
Officials of the state's Electricity and Road and Building departments have reached various designated spots to restore connectivity and power supply as and when required, while teams equipped with HAM radio sets and satellite phones have been deployed to ensure communication lines continue to operate.
Evacuation status
"Of 94,427 persons evacuated so far, 46,800 were evacuated in Kutch district, followed by 10,749 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 9,942 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,822 in Rajkot, 4,864 in Junagadh, 4,379 in Porbandar and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district," a state government release said.
"Those who were shifted to safer places include 8,900 children, 1,131 pregnant women and 4,697 elderly persons. A total of 1,521 shelter homes have been set up in these eight districts. Medical teams are visiting these shelters at regular intervals," the release said.
Officials said the cyclone will cause total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kachcha houses, and some damage to pucca houses.
It will also cause uprooting of power and communication poles, damage and flood approach roads, with district authorities making extensive preparations to ensure there is no disruption in power and water supplies, they added.
Trains cancelled, flights suspended
Meanwhile, Western Railway, which serves the Gujarat area, on Wednesday said it had cancelled 76 trains, short-terminated 36 services and short-originated 31 services as a precautionary measure for passenger safety and train operations.
All flights have been suspended at Jamnagar Airport. The airport authorities have completed the necessary preparations to tackle cyclone Biparjoy. Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued until June 16, and all flights will remain suspended from 1:30 pm to 4 pm. Fuel reserves have been stocked up to ensure smooth operations during emergencies.
Advisory to media
The information and broadcasting ministry asked media organisations, including television channels, on Thursday to take "abundant precaution" while deploying their personnel to cover Cyclone Biparjoy to ensure their safety.
"Given the possible impact of the cyclone, reporting from the ground level may pose serious risks of safety and security of the reporters and the cameramen and other personnel deployed by the private satellite TV channels for reporting this incident," the advisory said.
(With PTI inputs.)
