Gandhinagar: Gujarat was hoping for the best and bracing for the worst as cyclone Vayu inched closer to the State. Keeping the weathermen guessing, it has built in intensity and changed its location: it will hit the coast between Veraval and Dwarka on the afternoon of June 13. The IMD described it as a very severe cyclonic storm. By the time it crosses the coast between Porbandar and Mahuva, the speed would have enhanced from 150 kmph to 180 kmph. The Central government is closely monitoring the situation, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet, adding that the NDRF and other agencies are working round the clock to provide all possible assistance.
The NDRF has positioned 52 teams equipped with boats, tree cutters, telecom equipment and the works. The Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army and Air Force units are on stand-by. Gujarat has evacuated about three lakh people and Diu has evacuated 10,000 from low lying areas to safer places. Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has issued instructions to all ports operated by its Maritime Board to suspend operations forthwith.
Both the Reliance refinery, which has a port at Sikka, as well as the Adani group, which operates five ports from Marmugoa in Goa to Mundra in Kutch, have master plans in place to deal with calamitous situations, their respective spokespersons said. Flight operations from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport to coastal towns of Porbandar, Kandla, Diu, Mundra and Bhavnagar have been cancelled for Thursday. At least 40 trains have also been cancelled to ensure passenger safety.
- R.K.MISRA
