Cyclone Biparjoy, which intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Sunday, lay about 500-600 km off the coast of Mumbai and 380 km southwest of Devbhoomi Dwarka in Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. .
By noon on June 15, the cyclone is likely to cross between Saurashtra-Kutch and Pakistani coasts near Jakhau port in Gujarat.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch coasts and a yellow alert for Mumbai and Thane.
Biperjoy is the first storm of the year in the Arabian Sea.
According to the weather office’s daily cyclone advisory, the cyclone is currently over east-central Arabian Sea and has moved northwards with a speed of 7 kmph in the past six hours.
Ensure evacuation from sensitive areas: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that rescue teams are ensuring the safe evacuation of people living in vulnerable areas in the path of the storm.
The PM led a high-level meeting to survey the readiness of the Central as well as the Gujarat government to emerge from the impending cyclone, which is expected to hit Pakistan as well.
“Our teams are ensuring safe evacuation from sensitive areas and ensuring maintenance of essential services. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” Modi tweeted after the meeting.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Modi has asked senior officials to do everything to ensure that the state government safely evacuates people living in dangerous areas.
He also directed to ensure that all essential services like electricity, telecommunication, health care and drinking water are maintained and restored immediately if damaged.
In addition, the Prime Minister directed the setting up of control rooms open round the clock.
Cyclone Biparjoy likely to hit Kutch on June 15
On June 14 and 15, the districts of Coastal Gujarat are likely to receive heavy rainfall as a result of the cyclone. These places include Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar as well as Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagadh.
The PMO said the IMD also informed that it is issuing general releases since the onset of the cyclonic system on June 6, containing the most down-to-the-line estimates, to all concerned states and organisations.
MHA ‘closely monitored’ status
The PMO claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is monitoring the situation round the clock and communicating with the state government and central agencies concerned.
According to the PMO, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent 12 teams with boats, tree cutters and telecommunication equipment and kept 15 teams on standby.
Indian Coast Guard and Navy on standby
It added that the Indian Coast Guard and Navy have sent boats and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations.
According to the statement, engineering task force units of both the Army and the Air Force are also ready for deployment.
Surveillance aircraft and helicopters have been deployed along the coast, and Disaster Relief Teams (DRTs) and Medical Teams (MTs) from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard are on standby.
PM Modi was also informed about the steps taken by the Gujarat government to deal with the cyclone.
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