Cyclone Biparjoy Updates: 18 NDRF Teams Deployed Across Gujarat as IMD Warns of 'Extensive Damage'

Cyclone Biparjoy is now completely detached from the monsoonal flow and will not adversely impact the advance of the rain-bearing system or its performance, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference here, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone, however, helped the monsoon advance over southern parts of the peninsula by increasing the cross-equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the Gujarat government on Tuesday to make arrangements for moving people living in sensitive places to safer areas and ensure all necessary services, such as electricity, telecommunication, health and drinking water, as part of the preparedness for Cyclone “Biparjoy”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government’s aim is to ensure ‘Zero Casualty’ and minimize the possible damage. He said that there is a need to act swiftly on the important directions given by PM Modi during a review meeting chaired by him on June 12.

A total of 45 columns of the Army have been prepared for Cyclone Biparjoy. 13 Engineering Task Forces and 14 Medical Teams have been deployed. Within two hours, operations will be initiated for relief and rescue at any location.

Hundreds of people are being evacuated from coastal villages in Kutch district in view of cyclone Biparjoy but authorities are facing a challenge as many villagers are reluctant to leave their livestock and belongings behind. The powerful cyclone is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port in Kutch district on Thursday evening.

Districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar are likely to be affected the most, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In Ashirwada village, located 5 km away from the coast in Kutch district, people agreed to move out only after police and revenue officers held meetings to convince them.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel appealed to all to follow the guidelines given by the state govt and the district administration from time to time and stay indoors. If necessary, if anyone has to relocate, cooperate with the administration, he said.

CM Bhupendrabhai Patel said the state government, under the guidance of PM and HM Amit Shah, has taken adequate measures to overcome this natural calamity (Biparjoy). “All arrangements for disaster management have been completed. With a zero casualty approach, the state govt has ensured advanced rescue, relief and rehabilitation arrangements,” he said.

Tidal waves lash Gomti Ghat of Dwarka while the sea remains turbulent under the influence of cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’.

Heavy rain lashed several parts of Gujarat’s Aravalli district under the influence of cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’.

A total of 18 teams of NDRF are deployed across Gujarat with 4 in Kutch, 2 in Jamnagar, 3 each in Rajkot and Devbhoomi Dwarka, 1 each in Porbandar, Somnath, Morbi, Valsad and Junagarh. One team has also been deployed in Diu.

Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra, IMD Director General, said by the evening of June 15, this cyclone will cross Saurashtra, Kutch and the coastal areas of Pakistan. At that time its speed will be 125-135 km per hour, and it can have a wide impact. There will be heavy rains on June 14 and 15, he said.

Scientists monitoring the north Indian Ocean highlight how the Arabian Sea is “unusually warm”. The sea-surface temperatures have consistently risen since January, and hovered between 30-31℃ over central and south Arabian Sea. READ MORE

IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said when Cyclone Biparjoy reaches near the coast, wind speed could reach up to 150 km/hour. “This is the wind speed of a severe cyclone storm and could lead to collapse of large trees, telephone poles, and electric poles,” he said.

The flood relief columns have been rehearsed and kept ready at Bhuj, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Dharangdhra, Vadodara and Gandhinagar as well as at forward locations at Naliya, Dwarka and Amreli.

The Army authorities have also jointly planned the relief operations with civil administration as well as NDRF. The interaction has given all agencies involved in Disaster Management a platform to share their best practices and gain from each other. Representatives of the Indian Army also attended the meeting chaired by the CM and pledged total support during the time of crisis.

According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), names are necessary for tropical cyclones because there can be more than one such system operating in a particular zone, and naming them helps to not create confusion between the cyclones. Therefore, each tropical storm is given a name to avoid confusion, facilitating disaster risk awareness, management and mitigation.

The name ‘Biparjoy’, which is pronounced as “Biporjoy” was given by Bangladesh. The name means ‘calamity’ or ‘disaster’ in Bengali.

Each cyclone is recognized by alphabetical names given by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). These names are provided by member nations of the Organisation, which in this case is Bangladesh.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Kandla Port to take stock of preparations for Biparjoy cyclone in Gujarat’s Kachchh.

More than 20,000 people from the affected districts evacuated so far. Migration of 500 people in Junagadh district, 6,786 in Kutch, 1,500 in Jamnagar, 543 people in Porbandar, 4,820 in Dwarka, 408 in Gir-Somnath, 2,000 people in Morbi and 4,031 in Rajkot, according to Government of Gujarat.

Cyclone Biparjoy has “extensive damaging potential” and is likely to impact Gujarat’s Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts the most, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

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.

69 trains have been cancelled and 55 trains have either been short-terminated or short-originated, said Sumit Thakur, CPRO, Western Railways.