learning from the past bitter experiences of cyclones in the State (in 1998 and 2000), the Gujarat Government is not leaving single stone unturned to minimise possible damage of the Nilofar Cyclonic storm despite Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) projections that the cyclone would reduce considerably by the time it would hit Kutch coast.
On Wednesday Gujarat Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel took decision to send Ministers to coastal districts that are likely to be affected by Nilofar. Junior Minister Shanker Chaudhry has been given charge of Kutch, while Govindbhai Patel, Vasuben Trivedi and Babubhai Bokhiria will go to Dwarka, Jamnagar and Porbander.
Sources in the coastal Kutch district said that two biggest ports in the country — Kandla and Mundra are being evacuated and operations are like to put-off by Thursday evening in wake of the arrival of ‘Nilofar’. Besides, industrial installations worth about `70,000 crore in the region, especially near the coast, have already been asked to suspend all activities 12 hours before the cyclone touches the Naliya landfall in the wee hours of Saturday.
A senior Minister in Anandiben Patel Cabinet said that the State Government would not take chance as the State had witnessed the devastation in 1998 and 2000 cyclone in Kandla and Gandhidham areas. “After the devastating earthquake in 2001, huge industrial growth has taken place in Kutch following tax benefits,” he said adding that the Gujarat Government would try it best to minimise damage by taking precautionary measures.
Sources said that more than 35,000 people are being shifted to safer places. Besides 123 villages located on the Indo-Pakistan coastal border along Kutch district have been alerted. Already teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have taken their positions. Critical industries in Chemical and Petrochemical sectors have also been told by the administration to immediately shut operations.
The State Government has communicated market yards across the State to take care of farm produce due to possibility of showers after Nilofar Cyclone makes landfall. School and colleges will remain closed till November 1 in Kutch and adjoining Morbi districts.
The casualties in the 1998 cyclone over the entire Gulf of Kutch stood at 1,173, while some 1,774 went missing. The losses then, when the region had a handful of industrial units, were to the tune of `1,865 crore.