Gujarat: 30K evacuated, Army called in for Biparjoy

New Delhi/Ahmedabad, June 13

Over 30,000 people were shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters two days before powerful cyclone Biparjoy’s expected landfall near Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch district.

An official said several NDRF and SDRF teams were on standby. Simultaneously, Army authorities have jointly planned relief operations with civil administration and National Disaster Response Force.

Flood relief columns have been rehearsed and kept ready at Bhuj, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Dhrangdhra, Vadodara and Gandhinagar as well as at forward locations at Naliya, Dwarka and Amreli. Resources have also been made available from neighbouring Rajasthan to ensure minimisation of any loss due to the gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a virtual meet with the Gujarat CM and other ministers to take stock of the situation. Ahmedabad IMD director Manorama Mohanty said the cyclone was likely to cross between Mandvi in Kutch and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port with 125-135 kmph wind speed gusting to 150 kmph on the evening of June 15. /PTI