NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting to review the situation related to Cyclone Biparjoy in the afternoon, sources said. Fishing activities along Gujarat's south and north coasts have been suspended and authorities were evacuating people in districts by the sea in view of Biparjoy that is likely to make landfall along the Saurashtra-Kutch coasts as a very severe cyclonic storm, officials said on Monday.


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Officials in coastal Devbhumi Dwarka said around 1,300 people have been shifted to safer places so far. In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the June 15 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph.



In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the noon of June 15 as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph.


As of Sunday night, the extremely severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy lay about 540 km west of Mumbai, 360 km southwest of Porbandar, 400 km south-southwest of Devbhumi Dwarka, 490 km south-southwest of Naliya and 660 km south of Karachi in Pakistan, it said. The state government has begun preparations to deal with the fallout of the cyclone as it will bring very strong wind and heavy rainfall in the region, officials said.


Section 144,which bars assembly of persons higher than a figure mandated by authorities, has been imposed in coastal areas of Kutch district, with the local administration working to evacuate people from areas close to the sea in the districts in Saurashtra-Kutch regions, they added. Warning signals have been hoisted along the coasts for fishermen, who have been advised not to venture into the central Arabian Sea till June 15, and north Arabian Sea on Monday, the officials said, adding fishermen out at sea have been advised to return to the coast.


The Centre has directed the state government to regulate onshore and offshore activities and mobilise evacuation from coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch from districts including Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagadh and Morbi.