Biparjoy: Landfall may cause extensive damage, says IMD; 8,000 evacuated

Authorities began evacuating citizens from villages in Gujarat’s Kutch and Saurashtra districts today that were less than 10 km from the coast, according to officials. In order to transfer to safer locations, 8,000 people have already fled Kutch, according to Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that Cyclone Biparjoy has gotten stronger and is now a “very severe” cyclonic storm that would pass over Gujarat’s Jakhau Port by Thursday evening. However, the state’s Saurashtra and Kutch beaches continue to have a “orange” signal in effect.

Villages close to the Gujarat coast will continue to be evacuated today as cyclone “Biparjoy” strengthened into a “extremely severe cyclonic storm.” On Thursday afternoon, it is anticipated to make landfall somewhere between Kutch and Karachi, Pakistan.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has today issued an Orange alert for the Saurashtra and Kutch beaches in Gujarat as the cyclonic storm Biparjoy is anticipated to approach the Jakhau Port by the evening of June 15.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announces three major schemes for disaster management worth over Rs 8,000 crore. A project worth Rs 2,500 crores is being undertaken in the seven most populated metropolises of Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and other states to modernise and expand fire services. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune to lower the danger of urban flooding, and Rs 825 crores National Landslide danger Mitigation Scheme in 17 States and Union Territories  to mitigate landslides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued instructions to officials to facilitate the safe evacuation of people residing in vulnerable areas in the path of the cyclone during a high-level review meeting yesterday, where he received an update on the measures taken to mitigate the effects of the storm and assess readiness.