A well-coordinated response to the ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ Biparjoy ensured zero casualties in Gujarat, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah after inspecting the affected regions and meeting villagers and farmers in Kutch on Saturday.

The cyclone made the landfall on Kutch coast on June 15. Shah said a relief package will be announced by the State Government after the assessment of the damage to crop and property.

Earlier in the day, Shah conducted an aerial inspection of the cyclone-hit Kutch district.

Response to the cyclone

Speaking to the media about the effective response to the cyclone by the Central and State agencies with support from the citizens, Shah said, “This is a classic example of teamwork. There was no human life lost in this powerful cyclone that made a landfall with wind speed of 140 kmph.”

“First time in my public life, I encountered smiling faces of people after a cyclone of this magnitude. They were happy because lives were saved, farms or crops could be revived. This is a big achievement. The formation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and with its policies, we now have an army ready for rescue and relief work,” said Shah.

Also read: Gujarat farmers see Cyclone Biparjoy a ‘blessing-in-disguise’

47 persons were injured, with injuries not amounting to permanent disability, and 234 animal deaths were recorded. “These are minimum damage considering the vast coastline Gujarat has,” he said.

As a preventive measure, High Tension electricity supply was suspended in the cyclone-hit areas. “The electricity supply was suspended for 3,400 villages, out of which power supply for 1,600 villages has been restored already. The power for remaining villages will be restored by evening of June 20.”

“Our priority now is to ensure restoration of electricity and drinking water supply and facilitate the evacuated families’ return to their homes. By evening of Monday, all families will return to their homes,” Shah said, adding that the communication network has been completely restored.

1,08,208 civilians and 73,000 animals across eight districts were shifted to safer places. Over 1 lakh fishermen were asked to return to shore before the cyclone approached closer to Gujarat. Over 3 lakh trees were pruned to avoid their uprooting and 4,317 hoardings were removed as a preventive measure.

“The Gujarat government’s response showed that 70 per cent of the NDRF guidelines were implemented on ground,” he said.

In a special reference, Shah noted that about 1,206 pregnant women were shifted to hospitals as a precautionary move. Out of them, 707 successful deliveries were conducted during the three days of the cyclone impact.

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