Gandhinagar: As Cyclone Biparjoy is about to hit the coastal areas of Gujarat today, the state government has made all preparations to meet the storm and keep the people safe. Various preparations have been undertaken by various departments of the state government.

Nineteen NDRF and twelve SDRF teams have been deployed

A total of 19 NDRF teams have been deployed in 9 coastal districts of Gujarat, namely Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Valsad, and 1 Union Territory of Diu. Along with this, 12 SDRF troops have been deployed in 7 coastal districts (Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh) and Patan, Banaskantha, Surat, and 1 SDRF troop has been kept in reserve.

4317 hoardings installed in various areas in 8 districts of Saurashtra have been removed in advance in view of the storm, rain, and wind force, to avoid loss of life and property. Besides, 21,595 boats have been moored in these 8 districts.

Preparations made by the Health Department

Adequate stock of medicines and logistics has been ensured in the likely affected areas by the state health department. 100% diesel generators have been arranged in hospitals in the affected districts. A total of 202 108 ambulances and 264 government ambulances have been allocated to provide adequate medical assistance to the cyclone-affected areas. A list of pregnant women living in potentially affected areas, along with their estimated delivery dates, has been prepared by the Health Department so that they can be given proper treatment in time. A total of 197 DG sets have been allocated in these districts.

Control room arrangement at state level and district level

Control rooms have been set up at the state level and district level in Gujarat since June 11. Medical teams and specialists have been dispatched to Kutch-Saurashtra areas, including 10 in Morbi, 15 in Kutch, 5 in Dwarka, 2 in Jamnagar, 2 in Gir Somnath, and around 30 specialist doctors have been deployed in potentially affected areas. Anti-epidemic drugs have been ensured in all potentially affected districts and corporations. One medical college RRT in each district and 2 medical teams in each taluk have been arranged. A grant of Rs.50 lakh has also been released on an immediate basis in view of the effects of cyclones, in which Rs.15 lakh has been released in Kutch and Rs.5 lakh per district in the remaining 7 districts. 92 vector control teams have been deployed in likely affected districts.

Along with this, more than 1 lakh people from 8 districts of the state, which are likely to be affected by the storm, have been evacuated to safer places. 1521 shelter homes have been set up immediately in these 8 districts. These shelter homes are being regularly visited by medical teams, and proper health checks are being done on the people shifted there.

Operation of the Department of Energy

A control room of the Energy Department has been activated. Under the Department of Power, PGVCL has deployed 597 teams in a total of 3751 villages in 8 districts of Saurashtra, while GETCO has deployed 51 teams in a total of 714 substations. A total of 889 teams have been kept on standby by PGVCL in the districts surrounding the potentially affected district, while a total of 81 teams have been kept on standby by GETCO in the surrounding districts.

In addition, 132 teams have been deployed by the Roads and Buildings Department of the State Government with equipment like GCBs, dumpers, tractors, loaders, etc., in these 8 districts.

Forest Department and Gujarat Maritime Board

A total of 400 trees were uprooted in 8 affected districts, and all these trees have been removed from the roads by the forest department, so that there is no trouble for the public. In addition, the Gujarat Maritime Board has arranged for 21 ships at the port near the Gulf of Khambhat and 17 ships at anchorage.

State government has prepared a communication plan for the public during the storm

Before the cyclone hit Gujarat, the Gujarat Government’s Information Department had sent the Chief Minister’s voice message (OBD – Outbound Dialing) to 65 lakh mobile phone holders in 6 potentially affected districts of the state starting from the evening of June 13 till today. The message informed the public about the work done by the state government and the precautionary measures taken to stay ahead of the cyclone. Similarly, the Chief Minister’s Prajajog message, along with five other messages, including pre-cyclonic text messages and control room phone numbers, was sent to all potentially affected districts through WhatsApp messages in video format. Television commercials were also used for communication. Additionally, the State Government has prepared a special communication plan, which includes the following:

• Connections have been established between all 33 districts through the GSWAN telephone hotline.

• A total of 12 landline telephone connections are in place, with the helpline number 079-232-51900.

• The VSAT Phone/Satellite Phone System is operational.

• The telephone directory has been updated.

• Facilities such as satellite phones, quick deployment antennas, and SETs with extremely high frequency and high frequency have been made available by NDRF.

• SDRF (Home Department) has provided extremely high frequency SETs.

• The state government has instructed Jio, BSNL, and Vodafone to ensure adequate power backup for all 743 towers.

• Ham radio stations have been set up in Kutch, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Morbi, and Rajkot districts.
The Government of Gujarat is committed to making all possible efforts to provide security and necessary facilities to the people of the state against all kinds of natural calamities.