Intensifying into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, Cyclone Biparjoy is all set to make landfall between Gujarat's Mandavi and Pakistan's Karachi on June 15, with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday, June 12.

"The cyclone is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port. It will hit the Gujarat coast around noon on June 15. It will be preceded by winds with speeds of 135-145 kmph gusting to 150 kmph and extremely heavy rainfall," said IMD Ahmedabad Centre Director Manorama Mohanty. As per the department, the height of the waves generated in the oceans will be around 12-14 feet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Monday afternoon to review India's preparedness for Cyclone Biparjoy. At the meeting he told officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people living in vulnerable locations are safely evacuated. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is also keeping a close watch on the situation and is in touch with the state government and the central agencies concerned.

Biparjoy, which means disaster or calamity in Bengali, will impact the western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and other coastal areas in India along with the province of Sindh in Pakistan.

Also Read:Cyclone Biparjoy LIVE Updates: Gujarat on high alert as landfall expected on Thursday

Gujarat

As of now, 13 coastal districts in southern Gujarat, the Saurashtra peninsula, and Kutch, have been placed on high alert, which include the districts of Kutch, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Morbi.

District authorities have begun evacuating people residing near the sea and have suspended fishing activities. Fishermen in the state have been advised not to venture into the central Arabian Sea till June 15, and north Arabian Sea during June 12. The Centre has directed the state government to regulate onshore and offshore activities.

Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were being kept on stand-by in the affected districts and the administration was in touch with the Army, Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

Around 7,500 people have been shifted to safer places, and a proper evacuation operation will begin from Tuesday, June 13, for people residing in villages located within a distance of 10 km from the coast in Kutch-Saurashtra districts.

Maharashtra

Several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, received rainfall with high tidal waves and gusty winds on Sunday (June 11) evening which continued on Monday as well. The cyclonic storm also impacted flight operations in the region.

#WATCH | Tidal waves and rain hit Mumbai due to cyclonic storm 'Biparjoy' in Arabian Sea pic.twitter.com/BehVpPrqVA

— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2023

To prepare for Cyclone Biparjoy, fishing communities have been instructed to suspend their operations for the next five days. Precautionary measures, such as the removal of unstable structures like hoardings, have been implemented, and the electricity department is on standby to address any potential power supply disruptions.

The NDRF has deployed two teams in addition to the already available three teams in Mumbai as a precautionary measure with teams stationed in Pune ready for any eventuality.

Several Air India flights from Mumbai have either been delayed or cancelled as the cyclone intensified. SpiceJet said all domestic flights from Mumbai will operate from T1 CSMIA from June 15.

Other states

The NDRF, in addition to teams already deployed in possible cyclone affected states, has deployed 15 teams — five each at Arrakonam (Tamil Nadu), Mundli (Odisha) and Bathinda (Punjab). Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard, Army and Navy have been kept ready on standby.

Meanwhile, the IMD has forecast likely heavy rainfall in isolated places across the country. As per IMD, Bihar, Lakhshadweep, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Saurashtra and Kutch may receive rainfall on Monday, June 12; whereas Andaman and Nicobar Islands may receive on Monday and Friday, June 16; and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and southwest Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

Also Read:Due to heatwave and Cyclone Biparjoy schools shut in these states

Pakistan

Pakistani authorities have started evacuating thousands of people from the low-lying coastal areas in the southern Sindh province as they brace for the extremely severe Cyclone Biparjoy.

Karachi’s Seaview Road was blocked for traffic on Monday to prevent people from heading out into the open sea, with Section 144 imposed in Karachi, and entry to the port city’s beaches banned.

The NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) has also issued directions that all high-rise buildings and mobile towers in Karachi must be lit up by beacon lights and big advertisement boards on poles, and buildings should either be strengthened or removed altogether.

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s airside department has also alerted the relevant officials to ensure the safety of lightweight aircraft and other electrical equipment by taking precautionary measures such as mooring of parked light aircraft or re-parking to a safer place.

The residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), one of the upscale areas in Karachi, housing many incumbent and ex-servicemen, have been advised to take precautionary measures.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Jun 12, 2023 6:34 PM IST