Gujarat began evacuating people on a war footing on Wednesday to get them out of the path of Cyclone Vayu after meteorological officials said it had turned 'very severe'. As of 7 pm in the evening, 2.15 lakh people living within 10 km of the coast, particularly in low-lying areas of Kutch and Saurashtra, were moved to over 2,000 shelters. Five hundred villages in the affected districts have been evacuated while over 10,000 tourists along the coastal districts were asked to return to safe places.
By the end of the day, close to 3 lakh people were to be evacuated before the cyclone's scheduled landfall between Veraval and Dwarka in the afternoon on Thursday. The state is aiming for 'zero casualties' even as the storm, with wind gusts touching 150 km per hour, is expected to leave behind large-scale destruction.
Standing crops are in danger, and many areas are expected to be flooded, with 10 districts in the state put on alert. Schools and colleges in these areas will remain shut till danger passes. Online registration for medical exams, which was to begin on June 13, has also been postponed.
As of now, 52 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams each with 45 rescuers have been deployed in the state, while 10 columns of Army are on standby. Eleven teams of the State Disaster Relief Force, two companies of the Border security Force, 12 companies of the State Reserve Police and 300 marine commandos have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations.
"The evacuation is still in progress. Police have begun patrolling the vulnerable areas," said Pankaj Kumar, additional chief secretary, state revenue department.
Met officials said the very severe cyclonic storm changed its course slightly and is expected to hit Gujarat anywhere between Veraval and Dwarka by Thursday afternoon. Earlier estimates had said it would hit the coast in the wee hours.
At the time of filing this report, the cyclone was 280 km south of Veraval. Met officials said cyclones tend to weaken after landfall, but Vayu is likely to stay strong for up to 24 hours after landfall.
The state has suspended operations at ports and airports in the vulnerable districts.
The railways has also hit the brakes on trains passing through coastal areas for two days from Wednesday evening, but added extra coaches to existing trains, putting them on standby in the closest safe location. In all, 15 trains have been cancelled so far.
"The state government has decided to suspend operations at all the ports in Gujarat. As a precautionary measure, all airports in Saurashtra will also remain shut till the cyclone recedes," Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said after a review meeting and a video conference with collectors of the 10 vulnerable districts.
The state has also cancelled bus services to pilgrimage sites. Buses are instead being used to ferry stranded travellers to nearby safe districts.
By Wednesday evening, several parts of the state including Ahmedabad saw a turn in weather with coastal areas drenched in heavy showers.
Several voluntary organisations and citizens had begun preparing food packets for relief to be given to the people affected by the cyclone.
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As of now, 52 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams each with 45 rescuers have been deployed in the state, while 10 columns of Army are on standby. Eleven teams of the State Disaster Relief Force, two companies of the Border security Force, 12 companies of the State Reserve Police and 300 marine commandos have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations.
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