Cyclone Biparjoy may hit Gujarat, state government says "fully prepared"

Ahmedabad: Cyclone Biparjoy is intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm and the Gujarat government on Wednesday said that it is fully prepared to deal with possible natural calamities.

15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 11 of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been put on standby for rain relief operations.

Relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said the amount of water stored in reservoirs of north Gujarat and Kutch regions was the highest in the last 15 years. "Water is available in sufficient amounts in reservoirs in the state and compared to the previous year, 0.99% of the normal cultivated area has been planted so far this year."

He added that the government has ensured relief operations are carried out effectively through proper and immediate coordination between various departments and agencies of state and central governments because monsoon rainfall is likely to cause storms, and floods and disrupt normal life.

According to IMD, Biparjoy is the first storm brewing in the Arabian Sea in 2023. It is likely to cause wind gusts of 40-50 kmph in coastal districts in the next few days. It is also bringing light rains in Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions between June 9 and 11. It is centred around 1,060 km southwest of Porbandar district, said Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD, Ahmedabad.