Widespread damage and power outages as Cyclone Biparjoy lashes Gujarat
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Jun, 2023 11:55 AM
Gandhinagar, June 16 (IANS) Cyclone Biparjoy, noted for its strong winds and torrential rainfall, left a devastating trail after making a landfall across Gujarat's Kutch district.
As the cyclone gradually weakened on its northward trajectory, it had already disrupted everyday life on an unprecedented scale. Uprooted trees, injuries to 23 people, and extensive power failures marked its ferocity as it made landfall on Gujarat's coasts on Thursday evening.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reported two casualties preceding the cyclone's arrival. A father-son cattle-rearing duo died while attempting to save their trapped goats from a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district the same day.
Gujarat's relief commissioner, Alok Singh confirmed that the cyclone has resulted in 24 animal fatalities, 524 toppled trees, and a slew of damaged electric poles resulting in power outages across 940 villages. Morbi district clocking over 115-120 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall, witnessed over 300 electric poles being destroyed. This damage led to power outages across 45 villages, as the cyclone made its aggressive landfall on Thursday evening.
Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) officials confirm that efforts to restore power are in full swing in nine of the affected villages.
With Biparjoy now losing strength, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel reported no casualties in the Kutch district.
He further stated that road clearance operations are being carried out across several parts of the coastal districts. He said, "We are analysing the situation at the Control room in Kutch. No need to worry, the government is making every effort to bring things to normal."
In preparation for Biparjoy's anticipated landfall, over 180,000 individuals were relocated to safer zones, indicating the severity of the cyclone's expected impact.
"During the search, a blue and black coloured hexacopter drone (model E616S) along with black tape-wrapped five packets of heroin weighing 5.60 kg was found lying in the agricultural land of a local resident," he said, adding the preliminary investigations suggest this drone was found to be having a modern technology and it could lift a good amount of weight.
The test was successful and provided several clues to the investigators. Aaftab was taken to Ambedkar hospital around 8.30 a.m. for his narco test, which started around 10 a.m and ended at 12.30 p.m.
The water treated by the STP at Phagwara having a capacity of 28 million liters of water per day (MLD), is being used for irrigation on 1,000 acres by the farmers with the help of an 11-km-long pipeline laid by the Water Conservation Department.
Many of the harried passengers took to social media to vent their ire and frustration over the unexpected delays, posted pictures of the overcrowding inside the terminal or queues of passengers building up outside.
Master Plan 2041, which is in the final stages now, is going to be a visionary document to usher a new era of development of Delhi, said Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri on Wednesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, a court allowed Delhi Police to conduct a narco test on Aaftab on December 1 and 5. "He has confessed to killing Shraddha and disposing of her body parts in the forest areas. He also had relationships with several girls," sources submitted.
