Cyclone Nilofar: Thousands to be shifted in Gujarat

Seven teams of National Disaster Response Force reach coastal districts where impact of the cyclone is likely to be felt most

As the very severe cyclonic storm ‘Nilofar’ in the Arabia sea reached its peak with wind speed of up to 210 km/hr gusting to 220 km/hr Wednesday morning, Gujarat state administration braced itself for the probable impact of the cyclone and decided to shift over 35,000 people across coastal districts of Kutch and Saurashtra region, to safer locations. However, by evening the wind speed had reduced to 150-160 km/hr gusting to 175 km/hr.

Cyclone ‘Nilofar’ which has now transformed into a very severe cyclonic storm on Wednesday morning lay centred about 860 km southwest of Naliya (Gujarat), 860 km southwest of Karachi (Pakistan) and 380 km east-southeast of Masirah (Oman). It is expected to move north-northeastwards by Thursday morning and then northeastwards and weaken into a cyclonic storm before it crosses north Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast around Naliya by October 31 night or early hours of November 1.

Over 30,000 people will be shifted to safer places in Kutch district itself where the cyclone is likely to make a landfall in morning of November 1. Though the cyclone is expected to weaken substantially before landfall to cyclonic storm with wind speed up to 60-70km/hr gusting to 80 km/hr, the district administration is not willing to take any chances.

“As of now we have identified over 30,000 people who would be shifted from coastal areas to safer places by today evening,” Kutch district collector M S Patel said. They are mostly from 128 coastal village of Naliya (where the cyclone is expected to make landfall), Abdasa, Lakhpat and Mandvi.

In Jamnagar too the administration has identified over 3,000 people who could be shifted in wake of the cyclone. “We are prepared to shift over 3,000 people living near the sea. Now, since the cyclone is likely to weaken and its landfall has been delayed by a day to November 1, we will wait till evening before taking a decision on shifting the people,” Jamanagar district collector Nalin Upadhyay said. Similar is the case for coastal districts of Devbhumi Dwarka and Junagadh, where hundreds of people are ready to be shifted. In some places people themselves have shifted to different locations as a precaution.

Seven teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have already reached the coastal districts where the impact of the cyclone is likely to be felt the most. Two team have been sent to Bhuj, one to Gandhidham in Kutch district. One team each has been stationed in towns of Porbander, Veraval, Rajkot.

Important industrial installations along the coastline like the oil refineries of Reliance Industries Ltd and Essar Oil Ltd in Jamnagar district, chemical plants have also been put on alert by the state administration. The ports across the state including Kandla and Mundra ports have been asked to hoist distant warning II signal for ships coming there.