Cyclone Biparjoy puts Gujarat in darkness, no loss of life

NEW DELHI: The powerful Super Cyclone Biparjoy struck Gujarat with full force on Thursday evening, causing extensive damage as more than 5,000 electrical poles were uprooted, leaving over 4,000 villages without power. However, efforts were underway to restore the power supply.

Initially, around 4,600 villages were affected by the cyclone, resulting in a complete electricity blackout. By Friday afternoon, power had been restored in 3,580 villages.

To aid in relief and rescue operations in the Kutch district, six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed. According to the director-general of NDRF, Atul Karwar, except for two unfortunate fatalities that occurred before the cyclone's landfall when a man and his son were attempting to save their livestock, no lives were lost. However, 23 people sustained injuries. In addition, three individuals were injured in the nearby Devbhoomi Dwarka district.

The cyclone, named Biparjoy, was reported to be moving towards Rajasthan on Friday, causing heavy rainfall in districts such as Jaisalmer, Ajmer, and Udaipur.

The NDRF chief also provided information about the extent of damage caused by the cyclone. Approximately 500 kutcha houses or huts were damaged, while the number of permanent houses affected was in single digits. Additionally, around 800 trees were uprooted or damaged. The NDRF teams, along with the state disaster response force (SDRF), were actively working to normalise the situation and assist those affected.

The road network in Gujarat was mostly clear, and the cellphone network remained functional, except in Rajkot. Heavy rains were limited to Rajkot, while wind speeds ranged from 90-100 kilometres per hour in Kutch and 40-70 kilometres per hour in other regions of the state, according to the NDRF chief.