Vehicular traffic to be halted when wind speed exceed 60 km/hour in cyclone affected area: Relief Commissioner

Gandhinagar: Relief Commissioner, Shri Alok Kumar Pandey, stated that the state government is actively working to prevent any loss of life caused by the potential ‘Biparjoy’ cyclone in Gujarat. Chief Secretary, Shri Rajkumar from Gandhinagar, assessed the rescue and relief operations via video conference with district administrations in coastal Kutch, as well as with the in-charge ministers, in-charge secretaries, collectors, and administrations of Jamnagar, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Morbi, Patan, and Banaskantha districts. Necessary guidance was provided. Minister-in-charge Kanubhai Desai from Morbi and Minister Molubhai Bera from Jamnagar gave essential guidance during the online session. Additionally, the Union Cabinet Secretary received information about the cyclone and offered assistance. Relief Commissioner, Mr. Pandey, provided details regarding the preparations made by the district administration.

The ‘Biparjoy’ cyclone is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall and wind speeds exceeding 125 kmph in the affected districts of Gujarat on June 14 and 15. In the initial phase starting from June 13, people living within 0-5 km from the coastline will be shifted to safe locations, followed by those residing 5-10 km away. Priority will be given to children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Power poles have been arranged by PGVCL teams to restore the electricity supply after the storm.

To evacuate people to safer areas due to strong winds and rain, 12 teams each of NDRF-SDRF have been deployed in the cyclone-affected districts, including Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Porbandar. Morbi, Girsomnath, Junagadh, and Rajkot have one team each, with two NDRF teams on standby in Vadodara and one in Gandhinagar. Similarly, out of the total 12 SDRF teams, two are deployed in Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, and Jamnagar, while one team each is stationed in Junagadh, Morbi, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Banaskantha, and Patan.

The forest and road departments have equipped teams with the necessary tools, including tree cutters, to clear roads in the affected areas. Shelter homes have been prepared in safe places within government schools and offices in coastal districts, ensuring accommodation, food, and medicine are available. Adequate medical staff, medicines, and necessary supplies have been arranged in health centers, as well as government and private hospitals nearby. The district administration is also coordinating with railway officials in the affected areas.

To ensure citizen safety, vehicular traffic will be halted when wind speeds exceed 60 km/hour in the cyclone-affected region. Evacuation of people from the most affected villages within 0-5 km from the coast, where the cyclone is expected to make landfall between Mandvi and Jakhau in the Kutch district, has commenced today. Fishermen have returned safely following advance warnings from the Meteorological Department, and all 24,000 boats along the coast have been safely secured. The state government remains in constant contact with district administrations to promptly provide necessary assistance for rescue operations. Mr. Pandey further elaborated on the details. DeshGujarat