Cyclone Biparjoy: PM Modi holds review meeting, extremely severe cyclonic storm likely to hit Gujarat coast on 15 June

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a review meeting ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy’s landfall in Gujarat.

The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Earth Sciences Secretary M Ravichandran, Kamal Kishore, Member National Disaster Management Authority, India, Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, among others. Biparjoy, now an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” and is likely to make landfall between Kutch district of Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan on 15 June.

According to a presentation made during the meeting, Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi could experience stormy weather with a wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 145 kmph on June 15 morning to evening.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting to review the situation related to Cyclone Biparjoy. pic.twitter.com/bYVZh9XWwd

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2023

The Union home secretary chaired a meeting of the National Executive Committee to review the preparedness of the central ministries, agencies and the government of Gujarat to deal with the impending cyclone, PTI quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying.

Evacuations underway in Gujarat, fishing activities suspended

According to the Disaster Management Act, the National Executive Committee is responsible for implementing various policies and plans related to disaster management in the country. Adequate numbers of teams and assets of the National Disaster Response Force, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Coast Guard are being deployed to assist the Gujarat government in their preparedness, rescue and restoration efforts.

The government of Gujarat has taken all precautionary measures to deal with Cyclone Biparjoy and is in readiness for restoration of services after the cyclone makes the landfall, the spokesperson said. The chief secretary of Gujarat and senior officials of central ministries and agencies such as India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) attended the meeting.

Due to cyclonic activities, sea conditions along and off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts will likely remain “rough to very rough” till Wednesday, and very rough to high on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department said.

#WATCH Cyclone Biparjoy | High tide hits coastal area of Kachchh in Gujarat.

(Visuals from Mandvi Beach) pic.twitter.com/PdXCFQTZlr

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2023

Fishing activities along Gujarat’s south and north coasts have been suspended and authorities were evacuating people in districts by the sea.

Flight operations in Mumbai hit

Meanwhile, flight services in Mumbai have been hit due to poor weather. Air India on Monday announced that there are delays in flight cancellations due to inclement weather conditions and the temporary closure of Runway 09/27 at the Mumbai Airport.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Inclement weather conditions and the temporary closure of Runway 09/27 at the Mumbai airport, in addition to other consequential factors beyond our control have resulted in delays and cancellation of some of our flights. We regret the inconvenience caused…

— Air India (@airindia) June 11, 2023

The uncertainty over flight timings has led to chaos and confusion at the Mumbai Airport with several passengers left in the lurch.

@airindia
There is a flight AI-654 from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai on 11th June at 16.40, but when we reached the airport at 3pm, we received a message that at 3.10 that the flight is rescheduled to 21.35. And now it is rescheduled to 1.30. How long will you make us wait???? pic.twitter.com/ZIAPnDwuxY

— Yamini Damuluri (@YDamuluri) June 11, 2023

There has been considerable uncertainty in the track and intensity of cyclone Biparjoy since it developed on 6 June. According to meteorologists, the storm underwent rapid intensification in the initial days and has sustained its strength due to a warmer Arabian Sea.

With inputs from agencies

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