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Cyclone Biparjoy LIVE: Cyclone Biparjoy started making much awaited landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district on June 15 evening after churning across the Arabian Sea for over 10 days as multi-agency response teams remained alert for relief and rescue efforts, while about one lakh people were moved to safer places in the state. The landfall process will be completed by midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
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23 trains have been cancelled, 3 trains short-terminated and 7 trains short-originated. With this, 99 trains have been cancelled, 39 trains have been short-terminated, while 38 trains short-originated as a precautionary measure, in view of safety of passengers & train operations with respect to onset of Cyclone Biparjoy: Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on June 15said the state was geared up to face cyclone Biparjoy and the heavy rainfall that will come with it.
Gehlot, who held a meeting with the Chief Secretary, the DGP, and officials of the Meteorological Department on Wednesday, said there was no need to panic.
"We have done a review. People of Civil Defense and Disaster Management have been deputed and there is no need to panic," he told reporters in Bharatpur.
"The IMD has predicted that it (Cyclone Biparjoy) will turn into a depression by 12 pm tomorrow (June 16), and its speed will decrease to less than 40 km/hour. There is a possibility of minimal damage," said NDRF IG Narendra Singh Bundela.
"By 11 pm, its (cyclone's) centre will be over the land. The landfall process will continue till midnight, after which it will start weakening," says IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
"Currently, the wind speed is between 115 to 125 per km hour, it can also go up to 140 km per hour. By midnight, wind speed might decrease": Manorama Mohanty, MET Director on Cyclone Biporjoy.
At least three people were injured in incidents of treefall in Gujarat's Devbhoomi Dwarka district as cyclone Biparjoy made landfall with destructive wind speed and incessant rains on Kutch coast on Thursday evening, officials said.
Many trees and electricity poles were uprooted near Jakhau and Mandvi towns in Kutch district while tin sheets used in house construction were blown away.
Until 7 pm there had been no report of death, said Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel holds a review meeting at the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar. The landfall process has commenced over the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch and it will continue until midnight, says IMD.
"It will hit the coast between Karachi and Mandvi and close to Jakhau port of Gujarat. This is now located about 70 kilometres away from Jakhau port in the Arabian Sea. It is moving at a speed of about 15 kmph...Hence, the landfall process has commenced over the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch...Upto midnight, the landfall process will continue..," says Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD
The landfall process will commence in the evening and carry on till midnight, the IMD said in its latest bulletin.The cyclone lay 80 km west-southwest of Jakhau port and packed winds of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph, it said. The cyclone lay 80 km west-southwest of Jakhau port and packed winds of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph, it said.
The cyclone, which moved east-north eastward towards Gujarat coast with a speed of 12 kmph in the past six hours, will make landfall between Mandvi in Kutch district and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port between Saurashtra-Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts, the IMD has said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said 'Biparjoy' is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district late Thursday night as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 140 kilometres per hour.
"#IAF assets in Op readiness for relief and rescue operations that would follow the landfall of #Cyclonebiparjoy. IAF is committed to assist fellow citizens to tackle contingencies that arise due to the cyclone," the IAF tweeted.
15 Ships ready in multiple configurations. 7 aircraft in SAR role for rescue ops in the sea. 23 disaster relief teams with 29 gemini boats, 50 OBMs (Out Board Motor) for boats 1000 lifejackets and 200 lifebuoys, formed up in the ICG stations for aid to civil authorities: Indian Coast Guard
Six NDRF teams evacuated 72 civilians (Male-32, Female-25, Children-15) From Rupen Bandar low-lying area and shifted them to NDH School Dwarka.
