Coastal districts brace for Vayu, thousands to be evacuated

Rajkot: As severe cyclonic storm Vayu rages towards Gujarat, administrations of 11 coastal districts were working overtime to minimize its impact.
The storm is expected to slam the coast near Veraval and Diu between 6am and 7am on Thursday. District administrations of Porbandar, Gir-Somnath, Amreli, Jamnagar, Kutch and Devbhumi Dwarka are taking all the precautionary measures as winds speeding up to 112 km are expected to roar after the landfall.
The Porbandar district, which is likely to be affected the most, has identified nearly 35,000 people who may have to be evacuated by Wednesday. District collector M A Pandya said “We have created 230 shelter homes with all facilities for these people.”
Entry at the famous Chowpati beach has been banned till the situation becomes normal. Also, seven earth movers, 12 loaders and tree cutting equipment have been readied as the winds could uproot trees.
Amreli district’s two talukas - Rajula and Jafrabad - are also bracing up for a possible damaging impact.
Amreli collector Aayush Oak said, “We will require to evacuate 19,000 people and they have all been informed. If they don’t move out voluntarily by 11am today, we will have to forcibly shift them. Shelter houses have been set up at 37 locations with all facilities like food, drinking water and medicine.”
As many as 60 state transport buses and 30 private buses have been kept on a stand-by for rescue and relief work, Oak added.
Gir-Somnath administration has also asked people in 51 villages to shift to safer locations.
In Rajkot, the municipal corporation has brought down 22 hoardings which may blow away due to strong winds. Two control rooms have been activated in the city and fire department has been kept on alert. Rajkot collector Rahul Gupta said nearly 10,000 people of 35 villages would be evacuated at safer places.
The district administration of Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot will prepare nearly two lakh food packets for the affected people.
Deendayal Port Trust (DPT) chairman SK Mehta said that all vessels berthed at the port are expected to sail out by Wednesday noon.
Two Diu beaches closed
Rajkot: Diu district administration has prohibited entry of all tourists at all the beaches from Wednesday 12 noon. All tourists in the hotels have been advised stay indoors. Talking to TOI, Diu collector Hemant Kumar said “We have asked hotel owners to inform those who have advance booking from Wednesday to postpone the trip if possible.” The administration has asked 7,500 people to shift to safer places and created 30 shelter house.