Union Minister Amit Shah on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of the areas that were affected by Cyclone Biparjoy, in Kachchh in Gujarat, in the last two days.

Shah also visited the Jakhau port in Kutch distrct. He also met the people who were evacuated from the coastal areas and are residing in shelter homes temporarily. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was accompanying him.

He also met the injured persons receiving treatment at a hospital in Mandvi and interacted with farmers and BSF, NDRF personnel.

He visited a farm near Mandvi to assess the damage caused to the crops and interacted with the farmers. The Union home minister flew back to Bhuj and discussed the post-cyclone situation.

Several towns and hundreds of villages plunged into darkness as strong winds unleashed by the cyclone uprooted electricity poles.

Among 1,09,000 persons shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters, there were 10,918 children, 5,070 senior citizens and 1,152 pregnant women, the government had said in a release.

He said the Gujarat government has completely implemented the guidelines of the NDMA during the cyclone. He said he has visited several places in the last 40 years, but this is the first time he is seeing happy faces without any complaints and this was because of the state government and Central agencies' preparedness.

Cyclone Biparjoy, which started brewing in the Arabian Sea on June 6, made its landfall nine days later in Gujarat on June 15. The landfall process started around 6.30pm and ended around midnight. It passed the Jakhau Port in Gujarat and its eye was eventually over land.

According a National Disaster Response Force report on Friday, two people had died and over 23 were injured after the cyclone made landfall. As many as 24 animals also died. However, Shah on Saturday said no human deaths were reported. He said 47 people were injured and around 234 animals died.

When the cyclone made landfall on June 15, several districts ahd reported power outages, uprooted trees and property damage.

Strong winds in Morbi resulted in the breaking of electric wires and poles which caused power outages in almost 45 villages of the Mahilya tehsil. However, power was soon restored in all of them except nine.

Naliya reported similar weather conditions and damage to nature.

With inputs from PTI

Also Read: Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan to see rainfall, Bihar heatwave and Assam floods— Track weather updates here

First Published:Jun 17, 2023 1:12 PM IST