Kutch in Gujarat is no stranger to adversities, be it the 2001 devastating earthquake or acute water crisis. But the horror that unfolded last week when Cyclone Biparjoy pummelled the region has left even the otherwise resilient population palpitating.
If the storm brought back memories of the killer 1998 Kandla Cyclone for the elderly, Gen Z trembled to see the storm unleashing destruction in the largely rural region. Even as Biparjoy exited the state to enter Rajasthan, the devastation it inflicted gradually started coming to the fore but the despondency on the faces of thousands in shelter homes could only take solace in the fact that they were still alive to start their lives from scratch.
Even as various agencies like the NDRF, SDRF, police, and others mounted gruelling efforts to rescue people, the ravaging winds and incessant downpours made this Herculean task tough. Massive swathes of land in Kutch, as well as Saurashtra, were flooded with rain waters that gushed into houses, sending people’s belongings floating with scant chances of recovery.
Roads were barely visible as thousands of uprooted trees lay collapsed, thatched houses flattened, farms marooned and most areas plunged into darkness due to lack of electricity. A large number of roads in the village was unapproachable due to sludge and it may take a few more days before the rain stops and the situation normalizes.
In Kutch alone, nearly 80,000 electricity poles collapsed while nearly 33,000 hectares of farmland have been affected. The height was when even the diesel generators stopped working owing to technical faults amid the severe cyclonic condition. Biparjoy's severity was lowered from "very severe" to "severe" now.
Union home minister Amit Shah praised the Gujarat government for its noteworthy success in preventing any fatalities amid the catastrophic effects of cyclone Biparjoy, which hit the Kutch shore with a strong wind speed of 140 kmph. During his visit to Bhuj, the administrative headquarters of the Kutch district, Shah assured that the restoration of electricity in the affected areas would be completed by June 20.
23 injured
At least 23 people were injured during incessant rains as trees and electricity poles were uprooted, and seawater entered villages located in low-lying areas, officials said. Heavy rains lashed Kutch district as the cyclone started making a landfall near Jakhau Port, officials said.
5 killed in Rajasthan
Five people died in Rajasthan in rain-related tragedies inflicted by cyclone as flood-like conditions continued to lash Barmer, Jalore and Sirohi. Barmer had some respite amid the tyrannical tides as rain ebbed after smashing records in the past two days in the otherwise arid zone. However, at least 6000 people were still living in camps put up by the district administration as their villages were still inundated. Three of the five deaths occurred in Barmer, including two kids who drowned in a pond and a 45-year-old man who perished in a similar way. In Salumber, a man was electrocuted while trying to switch off his water-logged flour mill. Another child drowned in Jaisalmer.
Karachi, Pakistan's largest city has closed its shops and malls along the coastline. The National Disaster Management Authority has warned fishermen to stay away from the sea, and emergency professionals were present in hospitals. It comes less than one year after record monsoon rain and melting glaciers devastated swathes of Pakistan, claiming the lives of nearly 1,600 people.