Cyclone Biparjoy likely to make landfall in Guj on Thursday, PM reviews preparedness

New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) With cyclone Biparjoy likely to turn severe by Thursday and make a landfall in Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the state of preparedness.

The meeting took place as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest bulletin said that the "extremely severe cyclonic storm" was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the June 15 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph.

The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Principal Secretary to Modi P.K. Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Earth Sciences Secretary M. Ravichandran, member of National Disaster Management Authority Kamal Kishore and IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, among others.

According to a presentation made during the meeting, Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi could experience stormy weather with a wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 145 kmph on Thursday to evening.

Fishing activities along Gujarat's south and north coasts have been suspended and authorities were evacuating people in districts by the sea in view of cyclone Biparjoy.

Officials in coastal Devbhumi Dwarka said around 1,300 people have been shifted to safer places so far.