Devastating Cyclone Biparjoy Storms through Gujarat

ManDvi: A man and his son died in India’s Gujarat state as they attempted to save their livestock in the region hit by cyclone Biparjoy, officials said today.

The longest cyclone to have struck the Arabian Sea, Biparjoy knocked out power in nearly 1000 villages and threw shipping containers into the sea in western India before moving to Pakistan where lashing winds and rain are expected to strike a part struck by devastating floods last year.

The storm made landfall a night earlier, packing windspeeds of 85 kph (53 mph), gusting up to 105 kph (86 mph) through the coastal regions of western India’s Gujarat state. Pakistani authorities were on high alert after evacuating 82,000 people.

The eye of the cyclone, which was churning across the Arabian Sea for more than 10 days, was located around 20km southwest of Jakhau port, 120km northwest of Devbhumi Dwarka and 50 km west-southwest of Naliya, reported Press Trust of India.

Recent studies show cyclones in the Arabian Sea are getting stronger and wetter as the sea surface temperature increased by 1.2C to 1.4C in recent decades.

Over 100,000 people who had sheltered from Cyclone Biparjoy in relief camps in western India have begun to return home after the storm weakened and headed toward Pakistan, officials said Saturday.

In the coastal village of Jakhau, where the cyclone made landfall in

India’s Gujarat state on Thursday, over 130 people had shifted back to their homes from a governmentrun shelter by midday Saturday.

India’s powerful home minister, Amit Shah, was expected to visit the village later Saturday and take stock of the situation.

Officials said electricity had been restored in many villages but some were still without power. After the landfall, the cyclone uprooted trees and electricity poles in hundreds of villages along the coastal regions of Gujarat.

“It was very scary and we expected huge damage,” said Amad, a trader who rents boats to fishermen in Jakhau and only uses one name. “But thankfully nature’s wrath was somewhat lighter than we anticipated.” houston: Gujarat is currently facing the devastating aftermath of Cyclone Biparjoy. The impact has been severe, with over 940 villages experiencing power outages, hundreds of trees uprooted, and the unfortunate loss of thousands of animals and birds. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has successfully evacuated over 40,000 individuals from the affected regions. The consequences of the cyclone are visible in Kutch, where approximately 80,000 electricity poles have collapsed, and more than 50,000 hectares of farmland have been affected, damaging recently sown crops. Gujarat has received an astonishing 55% of the season’s rainfall within just two weeks. Sewa International, as part of our interventions, provides immediate relief and support to the affected communities in Gujarat. We are distributing food kits to ensure healthy meals during this difficult time. Additionally, we are serving cooked meals to those in need. Understanding the importance of basic amenities, we provide essential clothes and hygiene items to help individuals rebuild their lives. Furthermore, we are setting up repairing houses to provide a safe shelter for those who have lost their homes. We aim to bring stability and hope to the affected communities, one step at a time.

However, we can make a difference by joining local and government forces in their efforts to provide relief. Your generous donation will aid those affected in rebuilding their lives and finding hope amidst the wreckage. Together, we can provide relief, restore communities, and uplift those in need. Please consider supporting the relief efforts by donating today. Visit https://sewausa. org/SupportCycloneBiparjoyReliefEfforts to contribute.

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