Kutch heaves a sigh of relief: Power infra paralysed, but Biparjoy spares houses, other structures

Gusting winds and heavy rainfall that had begun early Thursday evening continued overnight and intensified late Friday morning as the rear sector of the cyclone’s system also fell on the land. The rains and stormy winds continued till around 4 pm Friday with the district logging a cumulative 371 millimetres or around 15 inches of rain during the previous 24 hours.

Biparjoy damaged 1,670 kutcha houses and 274 pucca houses, flattened 80,0000 electricity poles and uprooted 3,275 trees. The IMD had warned that the cyclone will blow away huts and kutcha houses and flatten trees, power lines and communication towers, and damage highways.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, who has been camping in Kutch since Monday, said eight people were injured in cyclone-related incidents, including two after a portion of a primary health centre (PHC) in Anjar taluka in the eastern part of the district collapsed. Five persons were injured after being hit by flying roof sheets in Mundra taluka and one in a similar incident in the adjoining Gandhidham taluka. He also said that 71 livestock heads were killed, including 58 in Abdasa taluka.

However, the minister said that the district managed to escape a major threat. “Thanks to the collective efforts of people of Kutch, government, social organisations and charities, we have been able to tackle a major threat to Kutch… It is a matter of great satisfaction that we have been able to avert any loss of life. Not a single death has been reported in the district on account of this crisis or the depression,” the Minister said as he addressed a press conference in Bhuj, the district headquarters, the maximum wind speed, 120 kmph, was recorded at Koteshwar, a seaside temple in Lakhpat taluka around 80 kms west of Jakhau.

As per the IMD, Biparjoy made landfall between Mandvi in Kutch and Karachi in Pakistan.

Save the power infrastructure, no other sector was impacted severely by the cyclone. Telecommunication services held firm in most parts of the district throughout the landfall and its immediate aftermath. In Lakhpat taluka, where there was a temporary disruption, it was restored soon.

The Jakhau port, where the eye of the storm hit, escaped without any damage. More than 500 boats beached or dry-docked in the harbour withstood the storm without any major damage. Patel said no port or any jetty had suffered any damage.

In Jakhau village, 10 kilometres inland from the port, a sense of relief prevailed as the weather improved after the cyclone moved towards Rajasthan. “Thanks to God’s grace, we escaped without major damage even though the wind speed was terrifying,” Salim Pinjara (24), a shepherd said.

However, in the port, the sea swells and gusty winds had the personnel of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) apprehensive. “After the initial gusts and waves, there was a period of calm for about six hours. However, around 3 am Friday, sea waves started rising as high as the bridge of my ship and the barometer on board the sheep indicated the atmospheric pressure had fallen dramatically. The waves and the wind came from the same direction, making it an intimidating cyclone to negotiate,” one of the ICG sailors said. ICG personnel were the only people in Jakhau port that had been evacuated by the government late Thursday morning as Biparjoy approached it.