Heavy rains have lashed the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat as a prelude to cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ which is approaching the peninsula with full intensity.
A red alert has been issued for six districts in Saurashtra and Kutch, as these areas are expected to bear the brunt of ‘Biparjoy’ when it makes landfall on Thursday, after 4.00 pm.
Currently, ‘Biparjoy’ has been classified as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ and is located approximately 290 kilometers southeast of Jakhau port in the Kutch district.
Over the past 24 hours, at least 54 talukas in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions have received more than 10 mm of rainfall, accompanied by high-velocity winds.
The Meteorological Department has predicted rainfall even in the northern Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, and Patan as a result of the cyclonic storm.
As part of relief measures, food packets are being prepared for more than 47,000 people who have been evacuated and relocated to safer places over the past three days.
Precautionary measures include the removal of over 4,000 hoardings in coastal areas.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted a review meeting on the cyclone situation, with the participation of MPs from the districts that would be affected, held via video conference.
Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey has instructed electricity distribution companies to keep reinforcement teams on standby to quickly restore power supplies after the cyclone passes over the coastal districts.
Additionally, 18 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 12 teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in areas expected to be severely impacted by cyclone ‘Biparjoy,’ which is set to make landfall on Thursday evening near Jakhau in Kutch.