Widespread damage and power outages as Cyclone Biparjoy lashes Gujarat
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Jun, 2023 11:55 AM
Gandhinagar, June 16 (IANS) Cyclone Biparjoy, noted for its strong winds and torrential rainfall, left a devastating trail after making a landfall across Gujarat's Kutch district.
As the cyclone gradually weakened on its northward trajectory, it had already disrupted everyday life on an unprecedented scale. Uprooted trees, injuries to 23 people, and extensive power failures marked its ferocity as it made landfall on Gujarat's coasts on Thursday evening.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reported two casualties preceding the cyclone's arrival. A father-son cattle-rearing duo died while attempting to save their trapped goats from a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district the same day.
Gujarat's relief commissioner, Alok Singh confirmed that the cyclone has resulted in 24 animal fatalities, 524 toppled trees, and a slew of damaged electric poles resulting in power outages across 940 villages. Morbi district clocking over 115-120 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall, witnessed over 300 electric poles being destroyed. This damage led to power outages across 45 villages, as the cyclone made its aggressive landfall on Thursday evening.
Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) officials confirm that efforts to restore power are in full swing in nine of the affected villages.
With Biparjoy now losing strength, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel reported no casualties in the Kutch district.
He further stated that road clearance operations are being carried out across several parts of the coastal districts. He said, "We are analysing the situation at the Control room in Kutch. No need to worry, the government is making every effort to bring things to normal."
In preparation for Biparjoy's anticipated landfall, over 180,000 individuals were relocated to safer zones, indicating the severity of the cyclone's expected impact.
The Chief Minister, who called on Puri here, underscored the need to develop Mohali as Smart City. He apprised the Union Minister that Mohali is part of tri-city comprising Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula due to which this city holds immense significance.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India's first free medical college, Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), to jointly work for undergraduate and postgraduate education in healthcare.
The white-coloured powder inside the thermocol balls tested positive for cocaine in the preliminary test. A total of about 1,922 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs 26.5 crore, has been recovered and seized under the NDPS Act.
A medium intensity earthquake jolted Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday and so far no report of any casualty or damage to property has been received from anywhere. The data released by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said an earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale occurred in the UT at 1.33 p.m.
The toll in the tragic triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore on Tuesday rose to 289 with the death of a man from Bihar while undergoing treatment, an official said. Bijay Paswan, from Bihar's Motihari district, succumbed to his injuries at SCB Medical College and Hospital.
For the second time, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was grilled at the Punjab Vigilance Office in Mohali on Tuesday for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known source of income.
