Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 13: As India and Pakistan braced to face the current year’s first severe cyclonic storm, “Biparjoy” is said to have weakened in the high seas and he wind velocity may further go down than what predicted when the storm actually hit the coastline between Kutch in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan.
According to Skymet, the sea surface temperature in the extreme northeast Arabian Sea has decreased from 31°C to 29°C, resulting in a slight weakening of Cyclone Biparjoy. It has now weakened to a very severe cyclonic storm with winds of 118-166 kmph, as opposed to an extremely severe cyclonic storm with sustained winds of 167-221 kmph. As the storm progresses towards Kutch, it is expected that the wind intensity will gradually decrease by the time it hits the coast by Thursday afternoon, it said.
The authorities in India and Pakistan halted fishing activities, deployed rescue personnel and announced evacuation plans for those at risk. From the Arabian Sea, cyclone Biparjoy is aiming at Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and the coastline of Gujarat.
The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday 13 reviewed the measures being taken by the Centre and the Gujarat government for cyclone ‘Biparjoy’, saying that he was in continuous communication with its regional offices in all the western States, including Gujarat, his home state, and provided requisite support to the States. So far, no such request has been communicated to the Ministry.
Also multidisciplinary central quick response medical teams pooled in from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), the Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS, New Delhi. Also, teams from AIIMS, Jodhpur, and AIIMS (Nagpur)] are kept ready to be mobilised in the event of any requirements for the same for providing emergency care and services. Besides, teams from NIMHANS, Bengaluru are also on standby to provide psychosocial care and aid to the affected population.
The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in all States have been tasked to conduct post disaster disease-surveillance through the State/district surveillance units for timely detection of any disease outbreak of any epidemic prone diseases in the aftermath of cyclone.
According to weather forecast, after June 15, the weather system will move from south to north across Rajasthan, leading to significant rainfall in the state from June 16 to 18. Gujarat has already started experiencing rains in some coastal areas like Bhuj, Mandvi, and Naliya. Mahuva, Porbandar, Okha, Diu, Somnath, Jamnagar, and Dwarka will also see rainy weather in the upcoming days, the weather monitoring website said.
Biparjoy, which began as a Low Pressure Area just last week, rapidly intensified into a formidable Severe Cyclonic Storm. Remarkably, it has become one of the most persistent cyclones to affect India in recent decades. The prolonged duration over the sea has allowed Biparjoy to gather significant energy and moisture, thereby enhancing its intensity. Consequently, there is an increased risk of severe impacts and destructive consequences upon landfall.
Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy is expected to make landfall around Thursday evening between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph, the IMD said.
“On June 15, wind speed in Dwarka, Jamnagar, Kutch and Morbi districts of Gujarat will be around 125-135 kmph and gusting to 150 kmph, it could have extensive damaging potential,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the IMD said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Mohapatra added that the wind speed was picking up in Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka districts up to Kutch to go up to 65-75 kmph on Wednesday.
High waves in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by a heavy downpour and gusting winds pounded Gujarat’s coastal areas, uprooting trees and resulting in a wall collapse that killed three people in Kutch and Rajkot districts of the state, authorities said. Eight districts in coastal Gujarat are expected to be affected, the state government said.
The cyclone could lead to extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm) at isolated places in Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts on June 15. Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagadh may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. Winds gusting up to 145 km are predicted to batter these districts. “Tidal waves reaching heights of up to six metres could inundate low-lying coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch. Evacuation measures have been recommended, and authorities are taking prompt action,” Mohapatra said.