Cyclone Biparjoy in India Live Updates, June 14: Authorities have evacuated 50,000 people from vulnerable areas in a massive operation, according to officials, and deployed disaster management personnel for relief and rescue measures in the state which is set to be most impacted, as cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ approaches the Gujarat coast, news agency PTI reported. A total of 33 teams have been earmarked by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to undertake relief and rescue operations in Gujarat and Maharashtra, a PTI report quoted the officials. The evacuation is in progress and is expected to be completed by Wednesday evening, officials said, according to the report.
Churning the Arabian Sea, the cyclone was set to re-curve towards Gujarat’s Saurashtra, Kutch, and adjoining south Pakistan, slightly weakening in the process but still threatening to swamp the region with storm surges, strong winds and heavy rains, news agency PTI reported. According to the news agency, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “For the past six hours, it [intensity of the cyclone] has become very slow, practically stationary. This is an indication that the direction of the movement of the cyclone will change now. We are expecting that it will move towards the northeast and it will hit Saurashtra, Kutch and adjoining Pakistan between Mandvi and Karachi near to Jakhau Port.” The IMD had also sounded a red alert as cyclone Biparjoy made its way to the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts, a day before its predicted to make landfall.
What has IMD said? IMD has said that Cyclone Biparjoy, which is forecasted to cross close to Jakhau Port on the evening of June 15, has “extensive damaging potential” and is likely to impact Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat the most. Cyclone Biparjoy is predicted to as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph, news agency PTI reported. Further, the cyclone is predicted to enter southwest Rajasthan on June 16, officials informed.
Cyclone Biparjoy Live Updates: Cyclone 'Biparjoy' has 'extensive damaging potential' as per IMD, likely to make landfall on June 15; watch this space for latest updates on weather.
The Gujarat government Wednesday postponed the Teacher Aptitude Test (TAT(S)) main exam scheduled to be held from June 18 to June 25, in view of Cyclone Biparjoy expected to impact at least eight districts in the state when it makes a landfall on Thursday.
Education minister Kuber Dindor, who made the announcement, said in a statement that this would relieve the candidates from Kutch and Saurashtra districts, who had been affected by the cyclone and would also give them enough time to prepare.
Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority Wednesday allotted one ham radio unit for communication should conventional communication lines like mobile phones, internet, telephones etc. fail under the impact of cyclone Biparjoy.
(Express Photos)
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel Wednesday held a meeting of senior officials at State Emergency Operation Centre in Gandhinagar to review the preparations of the state machinery against cyclone Biparjoy.
The CM was informed that more than 47,000 people have been evacuated from the eight coastal districts likely to be affected the most by the cyclone.
An official release stated that the evacuation of people is likely to be completed by today evening.
Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey said that the cyclone is likely to hit Gujarat near Jakhau in Kutch district by Thursday evening, 5 pm.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Gujarat government, including chief secretary Raj Kumar and regional director of meteorological department Manorama Mohanty.
The Gujarat government Wednesday, bringing relief upon telecommunication users in the state, announced that users whose subscribed telecommunication services are down can now utilize any other telecom operator's network by following these simple steps:
Simply go to Settings > SIM card > Mobile networks > choose the network manually
This service will be available till 17.06.23, 11:59 PM.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Wednesday evacuated 28 persons from Okha Choupati sea in Dev Bhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat.
The team evacuated 8 males, 13 females, and 7 children from the area.
(Express Photo)
Kutch district magistrate Amit Arora issues notification, ordering shops and offices to remain shut in 8 villages and Nakhatrana town from 8 PM Wednesday to 6 AM Friday. These coastal villages fall in the predicted path of cyclone Biparjoy which is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port in Kutch on Thursday evening.
69 trains have been cancelled, 33 trains have been short-terminated, while 27 trains short-originated as a precautionary measure, in view of safety of passengers in view of the cyclone, says CPRO Western Railway. (ANI)
Thousands of people living in coastal towns and small islands in Pakistan left their homes for safer places ahead of the approaching Cyclone Biparjoy that is expected to make landfall in the country on Thursday.
Strong winds, showers and high tides heralded the arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy, which means disaster or calamity in the Bengali language.
Classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm” of category 3, Biparjoy is expected to make landfall with winds of approximately 140-150 kilometres per hour (km/h) and gusts up to 170 km/h.
According to the latest forecast, the cyclone was expected to maintain a northward trajectory and then it was likely to re-curve eastward and make its landfall between Keti Bandar in Thatta district and India's Gujarat coastline.
The areas likely to be affected included Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Ormara, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan, according to weather experts. (PTI)
"NDRF and SDRF teams deployed in Gujarat, evacuation process going on for 2 days...our main motive is to make sure, by the time of cyclone landfall, people stay in confined areas and their homes. Awareness programmes and announcements are being conducted," says Mohsen Shahedi, Deputy Inspector General NDRF, reports ANI.
'A total of 5,535 people living near the coastal areas have been shifted to government facilities and provided with requisite health facilities. In Dwarka, more than 20 electric poles got uprooted and some kutcha houses got damaged last night,' says Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi. (PTI)
Light to moderate rainfall is expected at most places with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall predicted at isolated places over Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts of Saurashtra and Kutch.
Updated Heavy Rainfall Warning Maps on Dated:- 14-06-2023 pic.twitter.com/qTiK2G8ioi
— IMD Ahmedbad (@IMDAHMEDABAD) June 14, 2023
In view of Cyclone Biparjpoy, the state government, the ruling BJP, and opposition parties –- Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – have launched helplines for people in vulnerable areas. The Congress said it will help state administration wherever needed.
All 33 districts in the state have launched helpline numbers, an official release highlighted. People can also reach out for help on the toll-free number 1077, the release added. To help out the industries during the cyclone, the Industries Department has also launched a separate helpline with a ‘State Control Room for Industries’ at GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) headquarters.
A team of State Disaster Response Force in Gujarat's Naliya gears up for cyclone 'Biparjoy'.
#WATCH | A team of State Disaster Response Force in Gujarat's Naliya gears up for cyclone 'Biparjoy pic.twitter.com/6FgRWYp9Fj
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2023
Nearly 66,000 people living in coastal towns and small islands in Pakistan have been evacuated to safer places before Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to hit the coastline in Sindh province on Thursday, according to the government, news agency PTI reported.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the cyclone has moved away from Karachi and is currently at a distance of 370 kilometres south of the country's financial capital. The cyclone was previously 340 km south of Karachi. The cyclone moved north-northeastward during the last six hours, the department said.
"Maximum sustained surface winds are 150-160 Km/hour gusts 180 Km/hour around the system centre and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system centre with maximum wave height 30 feet,” it added.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said on Wednesday that the cyclone, which has slightly moved away from Karachi, will hit Sindh's Keti Bandar on Thursday morning. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, she said nearly 66,000 people have been evacuated to safer places from Sindh's coastal areas thus far, the news agency reported. Pakistan has deployed the military to evacuate around 100,000 people to safe places from the low-lying coastal areas in the southern Sindh province.
"The true form of the cyclone will be known tomorrow,” Rehman said as she requested the people to cooperate with authorities. Rehman also said that commercial flight operations would be suspended as the cyclone drew closer to the country.
The areas likely to be affected because of the cyclone landfall includes Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Ormara, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan, according to weather experts, PTI reported.
Thirty-seven relief camps have been set up at different sites including government schools and colleges. The Pakistan Navy said that troops had evacuated 700 people from various villages of Shah Bandar and 64 fishermen were rescued from the sea, the report said.
Naval emergency response and medical teams had been deployed at coastal areas of Balochistan and rural areas of Sindh including Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Sanghar, while naval ships were maintaining vigilance in the open sea, it added.
The Army, Navy, Rangers and district administrations moved people to shelters and relief camps set up in schools and other government buildings. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Sindh Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz told Geo News that the storm's intensity had decreased somewhat. "There is no dangerous situation in Karachi, the cyclone will exit from the city's south," he said. (PTI)
In view of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy' near Jakhau port in Gujarat's Kutch on Thursday, the local administration Wednesday decided to keep the famous Dwarkadhish temple in Devbhumi Dwarka district shut for devotees, an official told the news agency PTI.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Thursday evening as a "very severe cyclonic storm" with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Sub Divisional Magistrate of Dwarka and administrator of the Dwarkadhish temple trust, Parth Talsania, told the news agency that the temple will remain shut for devotees and visitors on Thursday. The decision has been taken for the safety and security of people in view of the cyclone warning, he said, according to the report.
Devotees will not be allowed into the temple premises, however, daily rituals will be carried out inside by priests and people will be able to see it live on the temple website as well as social media handles.
In the state's Gir Somnath district, the famous Somnath temple will remain open on Thursday, but the trust managing it has urged the devotees not to visit it. (PTI)
The southwest monsoon is set to advance further into the southern peninsula and eastern parts of India from Sunday following an initial delay in its onset over Kerala, news agency PTI reported.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that cyclone Biparjoy has completely detached itself from the monsoonal flow and will have no impact on the progress of the seasonal rainfall system. "Had Cyclone Biparjoy moved north-westwards towards Oman, it would have affected the monsoonal flow," he said, according to the report.
Mohapatra also said that the cyclone had helped the progress of the monsoon by strengthening the cross-equatorial flow as it lingered over the southeast Arabian Sea. (PTI)
Authorities have evacuated 50,000 people from vulnerable areas in a massive operation, according to officials, and deployed disaster management personnel for relief and rescue measures in the state which is set to be most impacted, as cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ approaches the Gujarat coast, news agency PTI reported.
A total of 33 teams have been earmarked by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to undertake relief and rescue operations in Gujarat and Maharashtra, a PTI report quoted the officials.
The evacuation is in progress and is expected to be completed by Wednesday evening, officials said, according to the report. (PTI)
In view of the Biparjoy cyclone building up in Dwarka, the All India Radio (AIR) dismantled its 90 metre steel structure tower on Wednesday evening. The AIR also shared a video of the tower being dismantled by cutting the tension cable attached to it for stability.
On Wednesday evening, shared a video of an employee cutting the end of the 'guy rope' or the tensioned cable that pinned the free-standing structure to the ground. In the Tweet, AIR said, 'A 90m high guy rope supported steel akashvani tower in Dwarka, Gujarat has been dismantled as a precautionary measure in view of the impending Cyclone Biparjoy... This has been done to prevent any mishap and minimize damages to life and property in surrounding areas. Simultaneously, Akashvani is working on restoration of services from Dwarka by using the available resources.'
In the video, following the tension cable is seen being cut with the help of an electric cutter and separates from the post with a spark, bringing down the 90 meter tower with a loud thud as the employees leave from the location. A release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said, 'The move follows a safety audit of this 35 year old tower by the structural experts from NIT Surat and CCW who recommended the dismantling of this tower in January, 2023.'
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday reviewed the preparedness measures being taken in Kutch, in view of cyclone Biparjoy, news agency PTI reported.
Mandaviya visited the Bhuj Air Force station to take stock of preparations made by 'Garuda' Emergency Response Team of the Indian Air Force. He said, "our jawans are fully prepared for the safety of life and property from the cyclone." Mandaviya also visited the K K Patel Super Speciality hospital in Bhuj to assess the emergency preparedness, according to the report.
According to PTI, he also reviewed the availability of oxygen, ventilators and critical care beds in Kutch district government hospitals, trust-run hospitals and other hospitals in the region. He further reviewed the preparations of health facilities that will be made immediately available if needed, post the cyclone.
Mandaviya interacted with drivers of 108 emergency ambulance service in Kutch and stated that "their enthusiasm and support have been a confidence booster". He said under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "all possible arrangements are being made by the central and state governments to deal with cyclone Biparjoy". (PTI)
A tremor of 3.5 magnitude was recorded in Gujarat's Kutch district this evening at a time when cyclone 'Biparjoy' is approaching the coast in the region, news agency PTI quoted the officials.
No damage to property or life was reported.
The tremor was recorded at 5:05 PM at a distance of 5 km West South West (WSW) of Bhachau in Kutch district, the Institute of Seismological Research at Gandhinagar said in an update, according to the report.
Kutch district is located in a "very high risk" seismic zone, and earthquakes of lower intensity occur regularly there, PTI report said. (PTI)
As cyclone Biparjoy moved closer to Devbhumi Dwarka coast on Wednesday, fishermen moved their fishing boats to safety in Dwarka of Devbhumi Dwarka district. Tidal waves too entered the mouth of Dwarka's Gomati river.
As Gujarat braced for a landfall of the cyclone, fishing boats were seen in Rupen harbour near Dwarka.
(Express Photos by Bhupendra Rana)
More from India
Over 37,700 people were evacuated from the eight coastal districts of Gujarat that are likely to be worst-hit by the cyclone.
(Express Photos)