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Key ministers review cyclone preparations
Union health, fertilisers and chemicals minister Mansukh Mandaviya reached Gujarat’s Kutch on Wednesday and reviewed safety measures
Several Union ministers on Wednesday reviewed the preparations and preventive measures being taken as cyclonic storm Biparjoy barrelled towards the coastal state of Gujarat, where it is likely to make landfall by Thursday evening, as thousands continue to be evacuated to safety, officials familiar with the matter said.
Union health, fertilisers and chemicals minister Mansukh Mandaviya reached Gujarat’s Kutch on Wednesday and reviewed safety measures, medical-relief preparedness and fertilizer supply chains, critical for farming in the ongoing kharif or summer-sown season.
In New Delhi, Union shipping and ports minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a meeting of interministerial departments and Gujarat government officials to take stock of measures to minimize disruptions at key ports along the western coast.
The central government assessed measures to prevent loss of lives, movement of food shipments and other critical goods, aside from steps to protect infrastructure critical to the economy, such as ports, officials said. The severe category storm is expected to slam the area spanning Mandi in Gujarat and Sindh region of Pakistan, according to the India Meteorological Department. “We are not just preparing for the cyclone but the handling the aftermath is equally critical,” the official said.
The food ministry also reviewed steps to keep supplies of essentials, including ration, going, especially for tens of thousands of evacuees, one of the officials said, while the ministry of fisheries is coordinating with coastal states to ensure a complete suspension of fishing activities.
The IMD said the storm lay centred about 300 km south-west of Gujarat’s Jakhau port on Wednesday afternoon. Seven people have reportedly died so far from violent weather conditions caused by the approaching tempest.
The shipping minister oversaw plans to ensure safety of large ships carrying critical supplies – from food to industrial raw materials – with officials from the Kandla Port Authority, chief secretary of Gujarat and the mercantile marine department.
The cyclone is likely to leave a trail of destruction, from flooding to destruction of crops, plantations and property.
According to a presentation made at one of the review meetings on Wednesday, eight districts are likely to come within the impact zone of cyclone Biparjoy. So, far, 47000 people have been relocated to safety. Plans to divert flights are already in place.
Heavy rains have already been pounding in large swathes of Gujarat and Maharashtra and storm-packed winds with speeds of up to 135 km per hour could devastate crops and houses.
While the main summer-sown season has just begun, inter-seasonal crops – those grown between end of winter and onset of summer – are being harvested in several states, a second official said.
“The focus is on evacuation, safety of both people and critical infrastructure and supplies of essential food, water and other items. We are constantly coordinating with Gujarat and Maharashtra government also,” the official said.
An interministerial team is “monitoring the evolution of the cyclone”, the official said, adding all docks were being secured and teams on ground are still evacuating people. Instructions have been issued to account for all fishermen at sea and ensure they are traced using latest technologies to help them navigate back, the official cited above said.
