Cyclone Biparjoy: Over 45,000 people shifted to shelter homes in Gujarat

New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): More than 45000 people have been moved to shelter homes in Gujarat's coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch as a catastrophic impact of cyclone Biparjoy that is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau coast in Gujarat's Kutch district on the evening of June 15 and will traverse all along the Rann upto Rajasthan thereafter.
As many as 13 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in the state.
NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi informed ANI that various teams of NDRF and 13 SDRF teams have been deployed in Gujarat.
As far as evacuation is concerned, the process has been underway for the past 2 days and more than 45000 people have been shifted to safe places in the entire state.
"Our main aim is that the people ahould be confined in their homes till the landfall happens. For this community awareness programmes are also being run and announcements are being made.Teams would be deployed if there is any flooding in the low-line areas," NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi said.
DIG informed that a total of eight districts of Gujarat would be affected by the cyclone and 442 low-line villages might be affected due to the cyclone.
The exact number of evacuated people in the state till Wednesday afternoon is 47,113.
597 teams have been prepared urgently to restore the power supply immediately by calling teams from other districts in potentially affected areas, NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi said.
Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey said, "Till now 4462 in Junagadh district, 17,739 in Kutch, 8542 in Jamnagar, 3469 in Porbandar, 4863 in Devbhoomi Dwarka, 1605 in Gir Somnath, 1936 in Morbi and 4497 in Rajkot, a total of 47,113 people have been shifted to safe places."
The relief commissioner added that 18 teams of NDRF have been deployed in the districts likely to be affected by the storm. NDRF has deployed six teams in Kutch, three in Devbhoomi Dwarka, two in Rajkot, two in Jamnagar and one each in Junagadh, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Morbi and Valsad.
While SDRF has two teams each in Kutch, Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka, while one team each in Junagadh, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Morbi, Patan and Banaskantha. Apart from this, a team reserve has been kept at Surat.
Around 4,500 people have been shifted from their homes to shelter homes as a precautionary safety measure ahead of cyclone Biparjoy reaching the coast of Gujarat, informed the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parth Talsania.
While speaking to ANI, Talsania informed, "We have shifted 4,500 people from the coastal areas to various shelter houses. The shelter homes also prepare to meet food and medical needs. We are closely monitoring the situation."Union Minister Parshottam Rupala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the arrangements and directed officials to be alert and take all necessary steps. (ANI)