Cyclone Biparjoy Leaves Over 900 Villages In Dark As Power Lines Hit, 500 Trees Uprooted In Gujarat

Cyclone Biparjoy caused a massive power outage in Gujarat as over 300 poles got damaged, and 500 trees were uprooted. 22 have been injured due to the storm in the state.

Workers restoring power in Gujarat's Morbi. ( Image Source :ANI Twitter )

Over 300 electric poles were uprooted hitting normal life in Gujarat after severe cyclone storm Biparjoy made landfall in the state on Thursday at around 6:30 pm, reported PTI. The storm brought heavy rains in Kutch and other coastal areas. Hundreds of trees have got uprooted due to strong winds damaging the power supply in as many as 940 villages and low-lying areas near the sea were flooded. The wind speed went as high as 140 kmph. 

As per an ANI, Alok Singh, Relief Commissioner of Gujarat said, "Around 22 people have been injured due to the storm. So far, there is no news of anyone's death. 23 animals have been killed, 524 trees have fallen, and electric poles have also fallen in some places due to which there is no electricity in 940 villages."

Mandvi town in Gujarat’s Kutch, Maliya in Morbi witnessed a complete blackout as trees and poles got damaged. Winds broke electric wires hitting the power supply in many regions. 

#WATCH | Gujarat: Mandvi witnesses strong winds as an impact of cyclone 'Biparjoy' pic.twitter.com/2JKV5Rwhkz

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023

J. C. Goswami, Executive Engineer, PGVCL, Morbi, told ANI, "Strong winds broke electric wires and poles, causing a power outage in 45 villages of Maliya tehsil. We are restoring power in 9 villages & power has been restored in the remaining villages." 

Morbi, Gujarat | Strong winds broke electric wires and poles, causing a power outage in 45 villages of Maliya tehsil. We are restoring power in 9 villages & power has been restored in the remaining villages: J. C. Goswami, Executive Engineer, PGVCL, Morbi pic.twitter.com/VbpYPV46TV

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023

ANI reported citing officials that in the coastal and desert regions, more than 300 electric poles have been damaged. Two power stations in the Maliya Taluka of Morbi have been shut down due to the cyclonic storm, they added. Trees were uprooted and several properties were damaged in Naliya amid the strong winds of cyclone Biparjoy. 

#WATCH | Gujarat: Trees uprooted and property damaged in Naliya amid strong winds of cyclone 'Biparjoy' pic.twitter.com/d0C1NbOkXQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023

"No casualties have been reported so far," district collector Amit Arora said, as quoted by PTI. 

"Wind speed is very high. Right now we are having rains everywhere. But the situation is under control," he added. 

"We have minor damage such as 200 electric poles have been uprooted, 250 trees are uprooted, and we have cut power supply in five tehsils as a precautionary measure," he told reporters, stated the PTI report. 

He added, "We have shifted people to shelters from the areas which are going to be most affected by cyclone which is 10 kms from the shore. We shifted around 52,000 people to shelters. We have shifted 25,000 cattle to higher grounds too."  

The district administration will start taking stock of the damage from tomorrow (Saturday, June 17). Meanwhile, an alert of heavy rain has been sounded in Gujarat's Patan and Bans Katha along with coastal areas.

(With Inputs From Mritunjay Singh)