Cyclone Biparjoy: 95 trains to remain cancelled, short-terminated in Gujarat till June 15, says Western Railway

New Delhi [India], June 14 : Around 95 trains running through, originating or terminating in Biparjoy-affected areas of Gujarat, will remain cancelled or short-terminated till June 15, Western Railway said in a statement.

According to the India Meteorological Department ( IMD), Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to land on Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch regions and adjoining Pakistan coasts on June 15.

Earlier, on Monday, Ashok Kumar Misra, the Western Railway General Manager, said, "We are continuously monitoring cyclone 'Biparjoy'. We have established a disaster control room at our headquarters and also deployed ADRMs at Bhuj, Gandhidam, Porbandar and Okha. Today, some trains have been cancelled due to increased wind speed in Porbandar. All trains going to coastal areas in Gujarat will be cancelled from tomorrow."

The Western Railway continues to be cautious and is actively revising train schedules to ensure safe travel. "In view of the latest weather forecast of cyclone Biparjoy affecting the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch in the state of Gujarat, various safety and security precautions are being taken by Western Railway for the likely affected areas under the jurisdiction of Western Railway," it said.

The Director of Information and Publication Railway Board, Shivaji Sutar on Monday said that sufficient manpower and machinery have been deployed with adequate preparation to deal with any emergency.

Speaking to ANI, Shivaji Sutar said, "Disaster Management room has been activated and field staff has been put on alert mode. Emergency control rooms have been opened in Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Gandhidham. Additional helpline numbers have also been activated".

"We have deployed sufficient manpower and machinery. Our teams have also been alerted. We have sufficient locomotives ready in case of any power failure, and we are also ready with preparation to evacuate people if a train gets stuck anywhere," he added.

Bracing for the cyclone, which has intensified into a "very severe" cyclonic storm according to the IMD, 12 NDRF teams have been deployed in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the preparedness measures being taken by the Centre and Gujarat state on cyclone 'Biparjoy' at Bhuj, Gujarat on Tuesday. The Health Minister of Gujarat, Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel was also present in the review meeting, said an official statement.

According to the official release, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is in continuous communication with its Regional Offices in all States of the Western Coast (including Gujarat) with instructions to provide requisite support to the States in their preparedness for the cyclone. So far, no such request has been communicated to the Health Ministry.

The release mentioned that six Central Quick Response Medical Teams pooled from various hospitals such as Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College Delhi, Safdarjung Hospital Delhi, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences of Delhi, Jodhpur, and Nagpur have also been kept to fulfil the emergency needs and services.

"Six multi-disciplinary Central Quick Response Medical Teams [pooled in from Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi; LHMC, New Delhi; Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi; AIIMS (New Delhi); AIIMS (Jodhpur) and AIIMS (Nagpur)] are kept ready to be mobilised in the event of any requirements for the same for providing emergency care and services. Besides, teams from NIMHANS, Bengaluru are also on standby to provide psychosocial care and aid to any affected population," it said.

"The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in all States have been tasked to conduct post-disaster disease surveillance through the State/district surveillance units for timely detection of any disease outbreak of any epidemic-prone diseases in the aftermath of the cyclone. In case of any logistic requirement by the States, HLL Lifecare Ltd. has been tasked with supply of the same," added the release further.

The release also informed that the Union Health Ministry continues to monitor the cyclone situation closely and is taking all necessary measures to be prepared for any health emergencies.

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