More than 20 thousand people will be evacuated to safer place before cyclone: Gujarat

Valsad and Navsari district administrations have started evacuating nearly 20,000 people from 47 villages located in the coastal areas of the state, amid preparations to deal with cyclonic storms in Gujarat.

Officials gave this information on Tuesday. Relief came for people living near coastal areas when the Indian Meteorological Department on Tuesday indicated that the cyclonic storm may not have reached the Gujarat coast. Jayant Sarkar, director of the State Meteorological Center, said that the effect could be in the form of strong winds and heavy rainfall in coastal areas.

As a precautionary measure, the Valsad and Navsari district administrations have started providing people living near the coast to safer places. In total, about 20 thousand people will be evacuated from both districts to safer places. According to a Meteorological Department release, the low-pressure area over the east-central Arabian Sea is presently about 670 km from Surat and it could turn into a cyclonic storm in the next six hours.

He said, “In the following 12 hours it will turn into a severe cyclonic storm and will cross northern Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast by the afternoon of June 3″. During this time the maximum wind speed will be 100 to 110 km per hour.”