Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with the officials to review the preparedness for the upcoming Cyclone Biparjoy in Northern Arabian Sea which is heading towards Gujarat Coast.
During the meeting, Sarbananda Sonowal directed the senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that people living in vulnerable locations are safe.
Sonowal said, "We must ensure compliance with the advisories issued by the IMD, DGS, and other authorities in order to protect lives and environment and also ensure that all precautionary measures and arrangements are made in time to provide necessary rescue, shelter, rehabilitation, and relief as required."
He also directed DG Shipping, respective Ports, and all concerned to set up a control room. "All Ports in the region to SITREP at regular intervals to update with regards to measures taken to safeguard against cyclone," he added.
Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reviewed the situation related to Cyclone Biparjoy. The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Earth Sciences Secretary M Ravichandran, Kamal Kishore, Member National Disaster Management Authority, India, Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, among others.
In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the June 15 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph.
