Huge areas of land in Kutch and Saurashtra were inundated by floodwaters from the rain that rushed into homes and sent people's possessions adrift with little possibility of rescue. Nearly 80,000 electricity poles toppled in Kutch alone, and 33,000 hectares of farmland were also impacted.
People avoided the highways in coastal Gujarat towns like Bhuj and Dwarka, and hotels, restaurants and petrol shops remained closed. Dwarka district collector MA Pandya said teams from the government had spent four sleepless nights, relocating 12,000 people into safe houses, arranging logistics like cooking meals from makeshift but functional in-house kitchens. "Despite facing winds reaching speeds of up to 120 kph for 12 hours, the district has fortunately not reported any casualties," Pandya said.
Twelve hours after the powerful cyclone made landfall at Jakhau port, Kutch is still reeling from the ferocity of Biparjoy. On Friday morning, gusty winds and rain continued to sweep across this border district in Gujarat and communication lines remained down in some parts even as the authorities began assessing the damage caused by the cyclone.
"The winds are gusting through the district amidst rain as the cyclone continues to progress. Naliya and Jakhau in Abdasa and Dayapar in Lakhpat are the worst affected areas, as per primary reports. But we will start assessing the damage now. There are some communication issues in Dayapar as a few telecom towers are damaged and others have encountered power failures. Elsewhere, the communication lines are still active," Kutch District Collector Amit Arora told.
Shah meeting with Gujarat CM
In order to assess the situation in areas impacted by cyclone Biparjoy, Home Minister Amit Shah travelled to Kutch and Jakhau ports in Gujarat. He will also hold a meeting with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and senior officers.
According to a home ministry official, the home minister went to Kutch to assess the cyclone's effects in the region. Shah would visit Mandvi and Jakhau ports in Kutch after conducting an aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas. Along with meeting people, he will tour homes for the homeless. Later, the official added, he will also travel to Swami Narayan Temple in Bhuj to inspect the food and other supplies being provided to those impacted.