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Coastal areas of Gujarat districts are fully equipped to combat potential disaster from Biporjoy cyclone

• Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel held a video conference with the districts from the State Emergency Operation Center and took stock of the situation
• In view of the possible extent of the storm, the Shala Praveshotsav will be postponed in 6 coastal districts – the Shala Praveshotsav will be held for only 2 days in other districts
• Nine ministers will be responsible for disaster management guidance to operators of coastal districts and will remain in the districts for three days
• People living in low-lying areas will be shifted to safe places if necessary
• If the essential needs including electricity, water, medicines are affected, arrangements will be carried out with immediate effect
• Notice to remove hoardings immediately
• Central agencies have been coordinated including Air Force-Navy-Army-Coast Guard to provide assistance as required
• Chief Minister’s directives to pre-plan disaster management with minimum inconvenience to people

Gandhinagar, Sunday: Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel took a detailed assessment of the disaster management preparedness of the district administrations against the possible extent and effects of the Cyclone Biporjoy over the coastal districts of Gujarat.

The Chief Minister held a video conference from the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar and obtained details of the disaster management plans made in their districts from the Collectors of the coastal districts.

Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel gave guidelines for disaster management in such a way as to cause minimum inconvenience to the people and safety measures are taken.

He clearly stated that the people living in the low-lying villages of the district’s must be shifted to a safe place if necessary.

He urged to take the help of the police to take the people from the low-lying areas to safer areas.

The Chief Minister gave instructions to deploy teams, pumping machines, generators for immediate restoration if the supply of essential items like electricity, water, medicine is affected.

Shri Bhupendra Patel obtained information about the arrangements for removing hoardings in the districts, carrying out immediate repair work in case of falling trees, power poles on the roads, taking into account the possibility of strong wind blowing conditions due to the possible storm.

Ms. Mohanty, Regional Director of Meteorological Department, said that the impact of this possible storm is likely to be seen in 6 coastal districts and some other areas of the state mostly from June 14th .

As a result of this, conditions like heavy to very heavy rains, high speed winds and sea waves can be created, he said while presenting the future climate.

In this regard, Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel has decided to hold Shala Praveshotsav for two days on June 12th and 13th in the entire state for three days from 12th to 14th .

Not only this, the school entrance festival has been postponed for now in 6 coastal and likely cyclone-hit districts of Kutch, Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Morbi.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister has assigned the responsibility of the districts to guide and help the 9 ministers in the disaster management planning work done by the district administration.

Accordingly for Kutch Shri Rushikesh Patel and Shri Praful Pansheriya, Morbi- Shri Kanubhai Desai, Rajkot- Shri Raghavji Patel, Porbandar- Shri Kunwarji Bavaliya, Jamnagar- Shri Mulu Bera, Dwarka- Shri Harsh Sanghvi, Junagadh- Shri Jagdish Vishwakarma and Shri Gir Somnath for Parshottam. Solanki has been assigned the responsibility.

These ministers will reach the districts assigned to them and stay there for three days and guide the system.

To meet this potential calamity, the district administrations have made all necessary arrangements to ensure shelters, keep boats anchored on the coast in safe places and medicines, quick disposal of dead bodies in case of animal casualties, preparedness of health services so that pregnant mothers do not have any difficulty in giving birth in case of storms.

The state government has coordinated the assistance of Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Army if required during this potential disaster and these agencies are also on standby for disaster management.

A total of seven teams of NDRF have been deployed in Rajkot, Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar and Dwarka and 3 teams have been kept on standby in Vadodara. 12 teams of SDRF are also deployed and ready to reach the areas as and when required.

In this review meeting, Chief Secretary Shri Raj Kumar guided the District Collectors and said that the condition and direction of the storm may change every hour for the next 72 hours.

In this regard, the District Collectors are expected to keep a constant eye on the situation and take appropriate decisions according to the local factors and get further assistance by reaching out to the State Emergency Control Room whenever necessary.

In this video conference meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, senior secretaries of departments including revenue, energy, road-building, forest environment, ports, science technology, animal husbandry were present and gave the role of advance planning done by their department.

Source: Information Department, Gujarat