Heavy rain and strong wind lashed the southwest coasts of India and Pakistan on June 15 evening as powerful Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall.
More than 180,000 people have been evacuated to safety in the two South Asian countries where swift preparations were made to protect people in the densely populated coastal regions days ahead of the cyclone’s expected landfall.
Biparjoy (meaning “disaster” in Bengali) has been churning across the northeastern Arabian Sea, heading toward India’s Gujarat state and Sindh province in Pakistan since late last week, with winds of 160 kph (100 mph) and gusts up to 195 kph (121 mph).
Classified as a category one storm, the least severe on a scale of one to five, Biparjoy was expected to damage standing crops and public infrastructure.
Cyclone hits Gujrat
Strong winds and heavy rains battered the Kutch and Saurashtra coasts of the Gujrat region on June 15. The local authorities said that the eye of the cyclone is around 50 km in diameter and it has a speed of 13-14 km/h.
Power went out after electricity poles fell and some trees were uprooted by gusty winds in parts of Gujarat, officials said.
“Landfall process will continue till midnight after which the cyclone intensity will weaken and wind speed will reduce gradually,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Response in India
- More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from eight coastal districts in Gujarat and moved to shelters, the state government said.
- So far, six people have died and around 75,000 people have been relocated to 193 temporary relief camps in Gujarat, India.
- India cancels 99 trains in the affected region.
- In India, 27 national and state Disaster Response teams and over 400 road and communication restoration teams have been stationed in different coastal districts in Gujarat.
Situation in Pakistan
Strong winds and heavy rain lashed coastal areas of Pakistan as the cyclone made landfall on June 15 evening.
Pakistan’s NDMA said that Biparjoy has not reached Keti Bandar as of June 15 night and the cyclone has not hit any areas in Pakistan yet.
Response in Pakistan
- Pakistan Government has established 75 relief camps in the districts of Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Malir, Korangi and Kemari.
- Over 80,000 people have already been relocated or evacuated, mainly to public schools and public buildings with plans to evacuate up to 100,000 people.
- The Ministry of Climate Change, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Sindh disaster management authority are leading the preparedness efforts with relevant government institutions, Army/Navy, Rescue 1122, and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).