No lives were lost after Cyclone Biparjoy made a landfall in Gujarat, however, 23 people were injured and electricity supply was disrupted in about 1,000 villages in the state, NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said on Friday.
The Arabian Sea cyclone ripped through Kutch and parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat leaving a trail of destruction. Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, according to officials.
Karwal said while two lives, unfortunately, were lost before the landfall, not a single human life was lost post the landfall in Gujarat.
This is because of the efforts of the Gujarat administration and other agencies that worked to ensure the least loss of life and property, he added.
The Director General (DG) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said at least 23 people were injured due to the cyclonic effect.
He said about 1,000 villages were facing electricity disruption in the state. The DG added that about 40 per cent disruptions alone were in Kutch district that bore the maximum brunt of the cyclone.
"No human death has been reported so far due to cyclone Biparjoy. The biggest achievement for the state is that not a single human death has been reported so far. This was possible because of our collective efforts," state Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told reporters in Gandhinagar.
Asked about a cattle-rearer duo of father and son dying on Thursday while trying to save their goats stuck in a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district, Pandey said that since the district was not cyclone-affected, their deaths were not counted as cyclone-related.
Widespread destruction
Cyclone Biparjoy has left a trail of destruction as it damaged 5,120 electricity poles and rendered 4,600 villages without power.
Power supply has been restored in 3,580 villages, while more than 1,000 are still without electricity, officials said.
"The cyclone caused extensive financial loss to the state power utility - Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited - with 5,120 electricity poles getting damaged. They are being restored. As many as 4,600 villages were rendered without power, but electricity supply has been restored in 3,580 villages," Pandey said.
Work to restore power supply in the remaining villages is underway, but inclement weather is posing hurdles in the task, Pandey said.
Nearly 600 trees got uprooted and traffic movement on three state highways came to a standstill due to damages and felling of trees, they said, adding that many houses were damaged due to the cyclone.
"Three state highways were closed as they suffered damages and saw felling of trees. A total of 581 trees were uprooted as per reports. As many as nine pucca and 20 kutcha houses were razed, and two pucca and 474 kutcha houses suffered partial damages," he said.
More than one lakh people were shifted to safer places before the cyclone's landfall, Pandey said.
About 500 'kutcha' or thatched houses have been damaged and 800 trees uprooted or hit, and our teams and those from the state disaster response force are working to normalise the situation and help those affected, Karwal said. Except Rajkot, no place in Gujarat is experiencing heavy rains, he said.
Sixty-five thatched houses were destroyed, and the government was preparing an order for immediate compensation to those who have suffered losses due to the cyclone, the official added.
Cyclone now headed towards south Rajasthan
The DG said the cyclone is now headed towards south Rajasthan and the NDRF has already positioned a team in Jalore after consultation with the state government as heavy rains may lead to a situation of flooding and people getting trapped.
A total of 18 NDRF teams, equipped with pole and tree cutters and inflatable boats, are deployed in Gujarat to undertake rescue and relief operations.
Five teams in Mumbai and four in Karnataka are actively deployed to respond to any situation that develops due to the cyclone on Friday, Karwal said.
Better coordination, collective effort
Media, social service organisations, administration of eight affected districts and central and state ministers in-charge for different districts campaigned in their respective districts to ensure that rescue and relief operation was carried out with better coordination, Pandey said.
"Inter-departmental coordination was also very good, with all of us receiving the guidance of the Chief Minister. He visited the State Emergency Operation Centre, interacted with the media and provided us guidance," Pandey told reporters in Gandhinagar.
It was this collective effort that led to the state achieving one of the highest numbers of over one lakh people relocated to safe places from villages close to the Arabian Sea. With improvement in the situation, the local district administration will begin shifting back those relocated to safer places, Pandey said.
Pandey said the data received so far is primary in nature and it will be revised when fresh information is received from the administration of affected districts by today evening.
Data from Kutch will take time to reach because of continuing strong wind and heavy rainfall in the ground zero of the cyclone, he said.
The cyclone intensity has reduced from 'very severe' to 'severe' category hours after making landfall. The cyclone has moved north-eastwards and has weakened into a cyclonic storm and will become a depression by the evening over south Rajasthan, officials said.
