Gujarat gears up ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy landfall

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 11 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday paid a visit to the State Emergency Operation Center to review the preparedness of coastal districts of the state against possible cyclones.
This was in view of the ongoing 'extremely severe' cyclonic storm, Biparjoy which is about to make landfall at the Kutchh and Saurashtra coast in Gujarat as well as in Pakistan on Thursday.
The Gujarat Chief Minister also held a video conference with all the officials of the potentially affected area.
Chief Secretary Rajkumar, DGP Vikas Sahay, Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey, and heads of the Revenue Department, Energy Department and Road Building Department joined the meeting.
After a preliminary discussion with all heads of department, the Collectors and concerned officials of the potentially affected districts also joined through video conference.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department issued a Yellow alert for Cyclone Alert for Saurashtra and the Kutch coast in Gujarat.
"Cyclone Alert for Saurashtra and Kutch Coast: Yellow Message. ESCS BIPARJOY lay over the east-central Arabian Sea at 0830 IST today,460 km SSW of Porbandar,510 km SSW of Dwarka, 600 km SSW of Naliya. To cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adj Pakistan coasts around noon of 15 June as VSCS," the met department tweeted.
The IMD had earlier issued an alert in Thane, Mumbai and Palghar. It also asked fishermen in the coastal areas to be on alert from June 11 to June 14.
Meanwhile, high waves were observed at Tithal Beach in Gujarat's Valsad, a coastal city on the Arabian Sea on Saturday. Tithal Beach has been closed to tourists until June 14 as a precautionary measure.