[caption id="attachment_254343" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
NDRF members seen inside the IAF C-17 aircraft as it lands at Jamnagar, in Gujarat on Wednesday. (PTI)[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 12: Authorities in Gujarat have evacuated more than 1.5 lakh people from the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch regions to safer places as cyclone Vayu, which has turned into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’, is expected to make landfall in the state on Thursday morning.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the cyclone with a wind speed between 145-155 kmph, gusting to 170 kmph may prevail over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea on Wednesday night before moving northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region.
Gale winds speed reaching 155-165 kmph, gusting to 180 kmph likely to prevail over north Arabian Sea, and off Gujarat coast on Thursday morning before the intensity of the storm gradually decreases thereafter, informed IMD.
Officials have said that the impact of cyclone Vayu is expected to remain strong for about 24 hours after its landfall.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who had a review meeting with the state administration at the State Emergency Operations Centre, informed that the government had initially planned to shift only those living in kutcha (thatched) houses but decided to shift all the people in coastal villages in the wake of forecasts that the cyclone could be severe, according to IANS.
The Chief Minister said that there was no other option but to evacuate the maximum number of people to safety. “The government’s success would be in zero death,” he said, adding that more than 1.20 lakh people were shifted by around noon (Wednesday) and many more would be moved by the evening.
Preparations
Officials told IANS that as many as 47 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and others had already arrived in Gujarat to help the people of the state and neighbouring Union Territory of Diu. Two special evacuation trains have been pressed into service with one starting from Okha in Saurashtra for Rajkot at 5.45 p.m. on Wednesday, and another at 8.05 p.m. for Ahmedabad with 21 coaches.
It is reported that several columns of the Indian Army, warships and aircraft have been kept on standby for rescue operations.
Flight operations from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to Porbandar, Diu, Kandla, Mundra and Bhavnagar in Saurashtra have been cancelled for Thursday, while all educational institutions have been shut and tourists on the Gujarat coast asked to steer out at the earliest, officials said.
Western Railways has said that it would cancel 15 mainline trains and short terminated 16 others on June 12 and 13 as a precautionary measure.
The IMD has said that thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is expected in the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on June 13.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at isolated places in Nagaland and other north-eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya – till June 16.
