Cyclone Biparjoy: PM Modi directs officials to safely evacuate people living in vulnerable locations

New Delhi [India], June 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of ministries/agencies of the Centre as well as Gujarat to deal with the situation arising out of the impending Cyclone Biparjoy.

According to the official statement, Prime Minister directed senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that the State Government safely evacuates people living in vulnerable locations and to ensure maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health, drinking water etc and are restored immediately in the event of damage caused to them.

During the meeting, India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to cross Saurashtra and Kutch between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by noon of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.

In this regard, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba also chaired the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and reviewed the preparedness of the Government of Gujarat and Central Ministries/Agencies to review preparedness for impending cyclone 'Biparjoy' in the Arabian Sea.

Gauba stressed the need to ensure that people from vulnerable areas are evacuated well in time and that preventive and precautionary measures should be taken by concerned authorities of the Government of Gujarat and concerned Central agencies.

Reviewing preparedness measures of the Central Agencies and Government of Gujarat, the Cabinet Secretary, Gauba said "The aim should be to keep the loss of lives to zero and minimize damage to property and infrastructure such as power and telecom, and in case of damage to this infrastructure, it must be restored in the shortest possible time."

The Cabinet Secretary said fishermen at sea should be called back and it must be ensured that people from vulnerable areas are evacuated well in time before the landfall of the cyclone.

He further assured the Government of Gujarat that all Central agencies are ready and are available for assistance.

The Director General, of India Meteorological Department (IMD), briefed the Committee about the current status of the extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Biparjoy' over the east-central Arabian Sea.

The cyclone is very likely to move nearly northward till June 14 morning, then move north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by noon of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.

Union Home Ministry also released an advisory and advised total suspension of fishing operations over the east-central and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea and northeast Arabian Sea till June 15 in the wake of extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Biparjoy'.

In an advisory on Monday, the ministry asked Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra governments to keep a close watch on the situation in the wake of the severe cyclonic storm and take appropriate precautionary measures. It called for judicious regulation of offshore and onshore activities.

The advisory, which has also been sent to the Chief Secretaries of Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, said that district authorities should be asked to monitor the situation in their areas.

Earlier today National Disaster Response Force said that it has deployed two of its teams in addition to the already available three teams in Mumbai as a precautionary measure against Cyclone Biporjay.

NDRF said that it has moved four other teams to Gujarat as it expects to have more impact over there.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Deputy Director General (Ops) Manish Pathak said that the Indian Coast Guard has taken all preventive measures regarding the impending Cyclone Biparjoy.

While speaking to ANI, DDG OPS Manish Pathak said, "The Indian Coast Guard has taken all the preventive measures. We have warned all the fishermen, though a fishing ban is in progress on the west coast of India from June 1 to July 31. However, country boats, the smaller ones which were out at sea have been shepherded back."

In view of the impending Cyclone Biparjoy, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has undertaken all precautionary measures as per the standard protocols, as a part of its monsoon contingency plan, Mumbai airport said.

Later in the day, India Meteorological Department said that impending Cyclone Biparjoy will cross near near Gujarat's Jakhau Port on June 15 as 'Very Severe Cyclonic Storm'.

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