Cyclone Biparjoy: Gujarat's Famous Dwarkadhish, Somnath Temples Closed For Devotees, Thousands Evacuated

Dwarka: With severe cyclonic storm 'Biparjoy' likely to make landfall in the evening and said to be approaching the coastal region of Gujarat, the authorities have closed two famous temples – the Dwarkadhish Temple in Devbhumi Dwarka and Somnath Mahadev Temple in Gir – for devotees on Thursday. Along with the Dwarkadhish Temple, the Dwarka Bazaar will also remain closed. However, the temple routine will continue as it is. There will be morning pooja, bhog and aarti during the daytime and the live darshan is accessible through the Dwarkadhish Temple official website and will continue throughout the day, said Malay Pandya, priest of Dwarkadhish Temple.

Cyclone Biparjoy To Make Landfall At Jakhau Port In Evening 

Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau coast, Gujarat between 5-6 PM this evening and will traverse all along the Rann of Kutch up to Rajasthan. As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm) Biparjoy is to cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port by today evening.

"VSCS Biparjoy over Northeast Arabian Sea at 0230 hours IST of 15th June 2023 about 200 km west-southwest of Jakhau Port (Gujarat). To cross Saurashtra & Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port by the evening of 15th June as a VSVS," tweeted IMD.

Thousands Of People Evacuated

As Cyclone Biparjoy is less than 200 kilometres from the Gujarat coast and likely to make landfall in the evening, along with the anticipated heavy rain and storm surge, the state administration has evacuated more than 74,000 people living in vulnerable areas. The administration has shifted people from nearly 120 villages located between zero and 10 km from the seashore in the Kutch district.

Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel said 72 villages are located between zero and 5 km from the coast in the Kutch district, while 48 others sit between 5 km and 10 km from the shore. “We have evacuated around 40,000 people from these coastal villages,” the minister said.

So far 74,345 people have been moved to temporary shelters in eight coastal districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Morbi, Rajkot, Devbhumi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar and Gir Somnath, the government said.

NDRF, SDRF, Rescue Teams On Standby

As per the government, 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 12 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 115 teams of the state road and building department and 397 teams of the state electricity department have been deployed in different coastal districts. Apart from local administration and police, four teams of NDRF and five teams of SDRF, Army, Coast Guard and BSF are on standby for rescue and relief post-cyclone, he said.

“Elaborate arrangements have been made by us for post-cyclone work like restoration of electricity infrastructure, mobile networks and other infrastructure," he said.

High Tide Expected Due To Cyclone: IMD

A storm surge of about 2-3 metres above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of the districts that are likely to be affected due to the landfall. The tides could rise up to 3-6 metres in some places, the IMD has said. This will be the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after ‘Tauktae' in May 2021.

Trains Cancelled, Short-Terminated

The Western Railway has said that 76 trains have been cancelled, 36 short-terminated and 31 short-originated as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and train operations.

BSF On Alert

Meanwhile, Border Security Force (BSF) has made adequate preparations to combat any challenges arising out of the impending storm. The Inspector General of BSF Gujarat, Ravi Gandhi visited the coastal areas of Bhuj and took stock of the preparedness to deal with any situation.

Speaking to ANI, BSF IG Ravi Gandhi said, "BSF forces are deployed at the international border. As per the IMD assessment, the concerned area is from Mandvi to Karachi. Our forces are alert with full preparation. We are helping people who are approaching us with any concerns. We are also in contact with other security forces like NDRF".

The cyclone is predicted to pass through all along the Indo-Pak international border. Besides guarding the international border, BSF has swiftly mobilised requisite resources for rescue operations.