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23,000 evacuated in view of Gujarat cyclone

Nearly 23,000 people living in the low-lying areas of Gujarat's coastal districts have been evacuated so far in view of the massive cyclone advancing on it.

A vigilant state government, after Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel headed an emergency cabinet meeting Tuesday evening, said that non-coastal districts like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Kheda, Gandhinagar and Mehsana have been warned of heavy rains, accompained by gales with speed up to 140 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is expected to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Nalia districts Wednesday evening.

The western districts of Gujarat -- Porbandar, Jamnagar and Kutch -- are likely to be lashed by heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong winds of speed between 200- 220 km per hour, Dr D S Desai, chief of weather forecasting in the Indian Meterological Department, said.

The 'storm surge' (rise in sea level) near Okha would be between 2.5 to three metres when the storm crosses the coast.

While the eastern districts of Junagarh, Rajkot and Amreli are expected to receive heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds during the next 24 hours, there is no danger to the further eastern region, Dr Desai said.

The cyclone was located 250 kilometres off Dwarka in Jamnagar district at 0930 hours this morning, Director of Meteorology R K Kankane said.

He further said the storm might hit the 1600-km-long Arabian Sea coast anywhere between Naliya in Kutch district and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district.

According to the cyclone control room at Gandhinagar, waves were rising to a height of 10 metres in the Gulf of Kutch -- 2.5 to three meters above the normal tidal waves.

Operations at Kandla and other smaller ports in the state came to a halt yesterday. The town wore a deserted look.

The state government had sounded an alert in all the coastal districts.

Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who held an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday, had deputed ministers and secretaries to monitor the disaster action plan in the 14 coastal districts which were likely to be hit by the storm. He sanctioned an exigency grant of Rs 5 million for each district.

According to Kandla Port Trust Deputy Chairman Vipul Mitra, a control room had been set up at Kandla to provide telephonic information. The number is 33708.

In all, 14 vessels, including four tankers and 10 cargo liners, had been moved out of the port and oil companies had been advised against loading gas and hazardous cargo.

At Bhuj, the Indian Air Force authorities have shifted aircraft and equipment to safer areas.

UNI

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