Cyclone Biparjoy impact could also be felt in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Cyclone Biparjoy, a severe storm, is less than 300 kilometres from the Gujarat coast and predicted to make landfall on Thursday afternoon. Disaster management agencies and state authorities are working round-the-clock to ensure that people living in vulnerable areas are safely evacuated in time.
Though the storm is expected to hit Gujarat, the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy could also be felt in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The National Disaster Management Authority of India (NDMA) has issued a set of guidelines for people to follow.
Here is the list of do's and don'ts to follow during Cyclone Biparjoy:
When Indoors
- Switch off electrical mains, and gas supply.
- Keep doors and windows shut.
- If your house is unsafe, leave early before the onset of the cyclone.
- Listen to the radio/transistor.
- Drink boiled/chlorinated water.
- Rely only on official warning.
If Outdoors
- Do not enter damaged buildings.
- Watch out for broken electric poles and wires, and other sharp objects.
- Seek a safe shelter as soon as possible.
Post-Cyclone Measures
- Remain in the shelter until informed that you can return to your home.
- Get inoculated against diseases immediately.
- Avoid any loose and dangling wires from lamp posts.
- If you have to drive, do drive carefully.
- Clear debris from your premises immediately.
- Report the correct losses to the appropriate authorities.
Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 km per hour, gusting up to 150 km per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
The weather office has advised fishing communities to halt operations and the evacuation of people from the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat.
Seven teams of India's National Disaster Response Force and 12 teams of State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the districts likely to be affected by the storm, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in a tweet.