Gujarat Now Facing Many Immediate Difficulties After Cyclone Biparjoy

Cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall in coastal portions of Gujarat on Thursday evening, has since weakened into a depression, according to New Delhi.

The Deep Depression (Remnant of Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy) was 130 km northeast of Dholavira, 120 km west northwest of Deesa, and 110 km south southwest of Barmer around 0530 hours IST on June 17, 2023, across Southwest Rajasthan bordering Gujarat and Southeast Pakistan.

The storm damaged 5,120 power poles, which resulted in significant financial losses for the state power provider. The Gujarati government's current urgent challenges include reestablishing electricity in villages and cleaning fallen trees from roadways.

Following Cyclone Biparjoy, which uprooted thousands of electricity poles, over 4,600 villages were left without electricity.

On Thursday, strong winds destroyed trees, blocked roads, and damaged property in a number of Gujarati locations. Power disruptions were also brought on by the winds, which reached gusts of up to 140 km/h in certain places.

Even though the storm weakened after making landfall, the IMD has issued a warning that north Gujarat should be prepared for significant rains.

According to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, there were no fatalities in the state as a result of the cyclone.

In Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Rajkot, and Porbandar, over 1,100 teams are trying to restore energy. Also, 581 fallen trees on the highways have been cleared by the forest department.

On Thursday, 127 individuals were transferred from Rupen Bandar Government Primary School to NDH School Dwarka by six NDRF teams. There were 82 males, 27 women, and 15 children among those that were evacuated.

As a precaution in the cyclone-prone zones, the Western Railways decided to cancel a few more trains and partially cancel the operation of a few other trains.

A meeting to evaluate the harm inflicted by Cyclone Biparjoy was presided over by the Chief Minister Patel on Friday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Gandhinagar. The district collectors in impacted areas were instructed by the chief minister to conduct surveys to determine the extent of the damage.