Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled his planned visit to Telangana on Thursday. The Union home minister instead will visit his home state Gujarat and take stock of the situation. According to sources, Shah is currently occupied with monitoring the ground situation and will soon head to the state as well. As Cyclone Biparjoy approaches the western coast of India, Gujarat is placed on high alert.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is in constant communication with the central government, ensuring effective preparations are underway to combat the impending cyclonic storm. Expected to make landfall near Jakhau on Thursday evening, Cyclone Biparjoy is forecasted to bring winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.
Ahead of the landfall of the powerful cyclone near Jakhau port in the Kutch district, authorities have taken measures to relocate approximately 50,000 individuals from the coastal areas of Gujarat to temporary shelters.
As the cyclone approaches the Gujarat coast, heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds has already hit parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region. Within a 24-hour period ending on Wednesday morning, nine talukas in Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, and Rajkot districts received over 50 mm of rainfall.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Biparjoy is expected to alter its course on Wednesday, moving in a north-eastward direction towards Kutch and Saurashtra.
The Gujarat government has initiated evacuation procedures for residents living within a 10 km radius of the coast, with particular attention given to the Kutch region, which is expected to bear the brunt of the cyclone's impact.
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Amit Shah's Telangana Visit
Amit Shah's visit to Telangana was originally slated for him to arrive at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 11:55 pm on Wednesday. He was expected to partake in a meeting with BJP party leaders. Additionally, he had plans to address a public gathering in Khammam on Thursday evening.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Chief of the Telangana BJP, has expressed said a new date for the Khammam open meeting will be finalised once the situation improves.