Cyclone Biparjoy: Amit Shah cancels Telangana visit ahead of landfall on June 15 | HIGHLIGHTS

Seventeen SDRF teams have been deployed in Rajasthan to deal with the impact of very severe cyclone Biparjoy which is expected to make landfall on the Gujarat coast Thursday. Rajasthan Chief Secretary Usha Sharma held a meeting with officials of various departments and district collectors to review the preparations to deal with the effects of the cyclone.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited Dwarkadhish Temple in Devbhumi Dwarka. The Temple will remain closed tomorrow, 15th June. "..In the last 5 days, 5535 people have been shifted from coastal areas of Dwarka district. Medical facilities and food have been arranged for them...," he added. 

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal held a meeting with senior officials of his ministries as well as the Gujarat government to review preparedness for Cyclone Biporjoy and ensure that the losses are kept at a minimum.

Akashvani said it has dismantled a 90-metre high-transmission tower supported by a guy rope at Gujarat's Dwarka as Cyclone Biparjoy is set to hit the Kutch and Saurashtra regions on Thursday. "This has been done to prevent any mishap and minimise the damage to life and property in the surrounding areas," an official statement said. Structural experts from the National Institute of Technology, Surat and the civil construction wing of Prasar Bharati had recommended dismantling the 35-year-old tower in January after a safety audit of the structure.

A total of 33 teams have been earmarked by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to undertake relief and rescue operations in Gujarat and Maharashtra ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy' near the Jakhau port in Kutch district. While 18 NDRF teams have been placed in Gujarat, one has been stationed in neighbouring Diu in the newly formed Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. 

In view of the cyclone, Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancels his Telangana visit which was scheduled for June 15. According to officials, Shah was scheduled to address a public rally in Khammam. The Union Home Minister will be in Delhi tomorrow and will supervise the coordination of relief and rescue operations.

(Reporter: Manish Prasad) 

In the wake of the cyclone, Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat's Dwarka will be closed tomorrow (June 15), said SDM Dwarka, Parth Talsania.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the three service chiefs and reviewed the preparations of the armed forces to deal with the impact of the cyclone. After reviewing the preparations, Singh said the armed forces are ready to provide every possible assistance to civil authorities in tackling any situation or contingency that may arise due to the cyclone.

Churning the Arabian Sea, Cyclone Biparjoy today was set to re-curve towards Gujarat's Kutch area and adjoining south Pakistan. It is slightly weakening in the process but still threatening to swamp the region with storm surges, strong winds and heavy rains.

IMD has issued a red alert for nine states and Union Territories (UTs). The alert has been issued for Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. According to IMD, heavy rain is expected in these regions from June 14-15. 

Border Security Force (BSF) jawans provided shelter to people residing in the villages in coastal areas of Kutch, at their BOP (Border Outpost). They have been evacuated in the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy. 

With cyclone Biparjoy approaching the Gujarat coast, parts of Saurashtra-Kutch region received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, the Met department said on Wednesday. In the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning, 54 talukas across the districts of Saurashtra and Kutch received more than 10 mm of rainfall, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said in a release. The rainfall was more intense in the districts of Devbhumi Dwarka, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Junagadh. Khambhaliya taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district received the highest 121 mm of rain, followed by Dwarka (92 mm) and Kalyanpur (70 mm) during this period, the SEOC said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin that the intensity of rainfall would increase as the cyclone approaches the Gujarat coast on June 15, with isolated places in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar likely to witness extremely heavy rains. Cyclone Biparjoy is very likely to cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau port (Gujarat) by the evening of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph, it said.

Total 14 teams of NDRF are present in Maharashtra to combat difficult situations 6 teams are deployed and rest 8 teams are on reserve.  

(With inputs from Manish Prasad)

(With inputs from Manish Prasad)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday sounded a Red alert as cyclone 'Biparjoy' warning for the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts in Gujarat.It is very likely to move nearly northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by the evening of June 15, informed the IMD.

Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch regions, along with the adjoining Pakistan coasts, are on high alert as cyclone Biparjoy approaches. The cyclone is predicted to make landfall on Thursday evening, bringing with it potentially destructive winds and heavy rainfall. As a preparatory measure, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation will take down hoardings placed in unsafe areas and trim or cut down trees that might have a chance of falling due to heavy rain and wind. Cyclone Biparjoy is projected to cross between Mandvi in Kutch, Gujarat, and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port. The cyclone's landfall is anticipated to bring strong winds with speeds ranging from 125-135 kmph, gusting up to 150 kmph, posing a significant threat to the affected areas. The ongoing rescue operation is being crried out in two phases. The first phase involves evacuating individuals residing within 0 to 5 kilometers of the seashore, prioritising their safety. The second phase will focus on relocating those living within 5 to 10 kilometers of the coast, ensuring comprehensive evacuation efforts

In the wake of the impending cyclone 'Biparjoy', Union Minister Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the arrangements and directed officials to be alert and take all necessary steps.Meanwhile, over 400 shelter homes identified in Gujarat's Dwarka and people are being shifted out to the shelter homes.

After Kandla Port in the state was closed ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy, hundreds of trucks have been standing still at Gandhidham, Kachchh. According to the India Meteorological Department ( IMD), Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to land on Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch regions and adjoining Pakistan coasts on June 15.Bracing for the cyclone, which has intensified into a "very severe" cyclonic storm according to the IMD, 12 NDRF teams have been deployed in Gujarat.

Cyclone Biparjoy is now completely detached from the monsoonal flow and will not adversely impact the advance of the rain-bearing system or its performance, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference here, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone, however, helped the monsoon advance over southern parts of the peninsula by increasing the cross-equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea. "Now, it is completely detached from the monsoonal flow. We do not expect any largescale impact either on the monsoon advance or its performance," he said. Scientists had earlier said the cyclone pulled the moisture and convection, impacting the intensity of the monsoon and delaying its onset over Kerala. Meteorologists had said further progress of the monsoon beyond southern parts of the peninsula will happen after the cyclone degenerates. The monsoon hit India on June 8 with its onset over Kerala, a week later than normal. Research shows a delay in the monsoon onset over Kerala (MOK) does not necessarily mean a delay in the monsoon onset over northwest India. However, a delay in the monsoon onset over Kerala is generally associated with a delay in onset at least over the southern states and Mumbai. Scientists say a delayed MOK also does not impact the total rainfall over the country during the season.

Union power minister RK Singh reviewed preparation for power supply and quick restoration arrangements for coastal areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan against the backdrop of Cyclone ‘Biparjoy. Singh on Tuesday held a meeting with senior officers of the Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Grid Controller of India and PGCIL for reviewing the preparations for maintenance of power supply in coastal areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan which are likely to be affected by Cyclone ‘Biparjoy‘, a power ministry statement said. He also discussed various necessary arrangements with the Power Minister of Gujarat on the phone. Union Power Minister gave strict instructions to all concerned to continuously monitor the situation and take all necessary steps for maintaining the stable grid supply to the States likely to be affected and also make arrangements for Emergency Restoration System (ERS) along with necessary men and material to be stationed at the strategic locations so that restoration works can be taken up without any delay. Singh also instructed PGCIL to extend all possible support and assistance to Gujarat Power Department for restoration of State Transmission Lines and distribution network.

Around 95 trains running through, originating or terminating in Biparjoy-affected areas of Gujarat, will remain cancelled or short-terminated till June 15 (Thursday), Western Railway said in a statement. According to the India Meteorological Department ( IMD), Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to land on Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch regions and adjoining Pakistan coasts on June 15. Earlier, on Monday, Ashok Kumar Misra, the Western Railway General Manager, said, "We are continuously monitoring cyclone 'Biparjoy'. We have established a disaster control room at our headquarters and also deployed ADRMs at Bhuj, Gandhidam, Porbandar and Okha.