Evacuations under way as Biparjoy draws nearer to Sindh's coastal belt
Evacuations continued in Sindh overnight as Cyclone Biparjoy crept closer to the province's coastal belt on Tuesday.
An alert issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department's Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre said the cyclone had moved further north-northwestward during last 12 hours and had weakened into a "very severe cyclonic storm".
The alert said that the cyclone now lay at a distance of about 470km south of Karachi, 460km south of Thatta.
Latest alert says cyclone to make landfall between Keti Bunder, Indian Gujarat coast on June 15
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Sherry Rehman says 113mm of rain expected in Karachi, urges public to take advisories issued by authorities seriously "without panicking"
NDMA chief says 100,000 people in vulnerable areas to be evacuated by June 15
"Maximum sustained surface winds are 140-150km/hour, gusts 170km/hour around the system centre and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system center with maximum wave height [of] 30 feet. Favorable environmental conditions ... are in support to sustain its strength through the forecast period," the centre said.
It said that under the existing conditions, the cyclone was "most likely" to track further northward until the morning of June 14 (Wednesday), then recurve northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar and Indian Gujarat coast on the afternoon/evening of June 15 as a "very severe cyclonic storm" packing winds of 100-120km/hour.
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-What are the wind speeds expected during the cyclone?
The alert said that widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm rain with some very heavy/extremely heavy falls accompanied with squally winds of 80-100km/hour gusting 120km/hour were likely in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot between June 13-17.
Dust/thunderstorm-rain with few heavy falls and accompanied with squally winds of 60-80km/hour likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts from June 14-16.
Storm surge of 3-3.5 metres high are expected at point of landfall, Keti Bunder, which would inundate low-lying settlements, the alert said. The centre also advised fishermen to not venture out into the open sea till the system abated by June 17.
Separately, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Anjum reiterated that the cyclone had travelled north-northwest during the last 12 hours. He said that the affects of the cyclone on Sindh's coastal belt and Karachi would be visible today, to some extent, and tomorrow.
He said that winds, between 15-20km/h, were blowing in Karachi from the north, northeast. He said that the warm winds were blowing from Rajasthan, under which Karachi would continue to experience warm weather.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said the intensity of Biparjoy had gotten severe.
"According to scientific reports, the cyclone's direction will turn to Keti Bandar and Indian Gujrat," he stated, adding that an emergency had hence been imposed in all the vulnerable areas.
"On June 15, it will make landfall on Keti Bandar and adjoining areas. Because of its width, far-off areas along the coastline can be affected," Gen Malik told reporters.
In Karachi, he continued, there were chances of thunderstorms. "For this, we have alerted all the authorities and preparations have been made to combat any untoward situation."
The NDMA chief added that 100,000 people were expected to be evacuated from vulnerable areas and assured that the process would be completed by the morning of June 15.
In a press conference, Climate Minister Sherry Rehman said that even if the Biparjoy Cyclone did not hit Pakistan's coastline, high-velocity winds and rains were likely to cause damage.
She revealed that 113mm of rain was expected in Karachi and over 300mm of showers were predicted in Thatta.
"Mandatory evacuations have therefore begun in vulnerable areas, especially Keti Bandar because saving human lives is the most important for us," she pointed out.
The minister stated that warnings had been issued for fishermen while Pakistan Navy and maritime authorities had removed assets from the sea.
"The coastline is at high risk and waves between eight to 12 feet can hit the shores," she cautioned, adding that the speed of the cyclone was 200km/hr which Rehman called "a lot".
"The situation is such that the cyclone can be seen heading toward the north-east and won't hit where the intensity was previously. But I will once again say that the situation is very unpredictable and caution needs to be exercised."
This, the minister went on to say, meant that people needed to be evacuated from vulnerable areas. "There is no other option."
She revealed that Keti Bandar had been completely evacuated while Sujawal was partially evacuated. All the hospitals in Sindh were also put on alert and vacations had been called off.
Rehman also recalled that the areas declared vulnerable were the same that were impacted during the 2022 floods and expressed fears that the cyclone may halt relief and rebuilding work underway. She called on the prime minister to allot an amount from the budget for these areas and ensure speedy delivery of grants to the affected people.
Earlier, she took to Twitter to urge citizens to take the advisories issued by authorities seriously.
"#BiparjoyCyclone is real. Without panicking, people need to take @pdmasindhpk and @PDMABalochistan advisories seriously for the coastal areas," she said.
"So far, it has reduced intensity only for Balochistan side [I am] told but it is highly unpredictable so please do NOT take it casually. It is varying in intensity but caution is crucial, especially near the Sindh coast.
"Karachi will likely face urban flooding given the scale and intensity of winds. Precautionary evacuations in Seaview areas have begun. We will keep you updated," she said.
In another tweet, she said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was coordinating with different stakeholders. She again advised the public to take advisories seriously, adding that evacuations were mandatory for "two union councils each from Badin and Thatta, including Keti Bunder".
She also shared a list of helplines citizens could reach out to.
Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said 26,855 people had been evacuated across the province, out of which 19,205 evacuations were conducted by the government while the remaining had voluntarily moved to safer locations.
"Desks have been set up by the health department at relief camps in vulnerable areas to prevent the spread of diseases," he said during a Sindh Assembly session today. He also shared a list detailing the evacuations on Twitter.
He said the Sindh chief minister had directed all commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure provision of food and other essentials at the relief camps.
The Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority, he continued, was "proactive" and all the ministers had been instructed to remain in the field.
The minister further stressed that it was important to take precautionary measures in Karachi but at the same time called on the public to refrain from panicking.
"There are predictions of a cloudburst in Karachi which is concerning," he said. "However, updates are still coming in and nothing conclusive can be said at the moment."
Memon advised citizens to stay indoors because "if you leave the house unnecessarily it will create hurdles for the rescue services".
"All kinds of unnecessary movement have been restricted [...] Seaview has also been cordoned off," he told the provincial assembly, adding that the Sindh government was taking all precautionary measures and needed the citizenry to cooperate.
In a statement released earlier in the day, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the evacuation of citizens living along the province's coastal belt continued throughout the night.
He said that Keti Bunder's 13,000 strong population was in danger, adding that 3,000 people had been evacuated overnight. Similarly, the 5,000-strong population of Ghorabari was in danger, out of which 100 people had been moved to a safe location, he said.
"The 4,000 people in Shaheed Fazil Rahu also face danger and 3,000 of them have been shifted," he said. He said that Badin had a population of 2,000, out of which 540 had been shifted to a safer location.
He said that 5,000 people living in Shah Bandar were also at risk of being hit by the cyclone, adding that 90 had been evacuated overnight. He added that that out of 10,000 people, only 100 had been evacuated from Jati overnight.
Further, six people out of 1,300 were evacuated from Kharo Chan, he said. Shah said that the administration would continue to evacuate the citizens of Thatta, Badin and Sajawal districts.
He said that citizens did not wish to leave their homes but there was no other option apart from shifting them to safer locations, urging citizens to cooperate with officials.
The Sindh CM also inspected arrangements in Karachi. He was accompanied by the Sindh chief secretary and the Karachi commissioner.
A handout released by the provincial government said that Shah inspected the billboards still up in the area surrounding FTC Flyover and Nursery. He directed officials to remove boards that were still up in the area.
He also visited Sharea Faisal and directed to remove billboards and their iron frames in light of the cyclone.
He then went to UCs Ibrahim Hyderi and Chashma, where he told the Karachi commissioner to shift 15,000 people to a safer location. Shah said that Chashma Goth Road would be submerged once the sea level rose.
Separately, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan quoted Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir as saying that some power plants "may go offline during the cyclone".
"It is dangerous to operate power plants during high-velocity winds," he said during a ceremony in Islamabad.
Dastagir noted that high winds were expected in the south-eastern parts of Pakistan due to Biparjoy, adding that the storm was also preventing liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships from docking at the port.
"Beware of rain and stormy conditions. High winds caused by Cyclone Biparjoy can cause downed power lines," it said on Twitter.
The director general of Pakistan Rangers Sindh, Major General Azhar Waqas, visited Sajawal, Badin and Thatta. He also chaired a meeting of border sector commanders and wing commanders, a handout issued by the Rangers spokesperson said.
"On the instructions of DG Rangers (Sindh), the process of shifting people living in coastal areas to safer areas is ongoing," the spokesperson said, adding that announcements were being made in loudspeakers to evacuate citizens.
The DG Rangers (Sindh) directed officials to assist the civil administration and rescue officials in safely evacuating citizens. He also instructed officials to provide assistance to the civil administration for free medical camps and for delivering relief items.
Four boys drowned after venturing into rough seas in Mumbai as Indian authorities began evacuating people from western coastal areas on Tuesday ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy.
More Context
-What measures have been taken to protect the coastal regions?
"Four boys drowned at Juhu beach on Monday evening. So far, we have found the bodies of two, and the search is still ongoing to locate the remaining two," said a police official in Mumbai, India's western metropolis that is south of Gujarat.
A man walks away from the seafront as high tidal waves hit the coast in Mumbai on June 13 as cyclone Biparjoy makes its way across the Arabian Sea towards the coastlines of India and Pakistan. -- AFP
High waves in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by a heavy downpour and gusting winds pounded Gujarat's coastal areas, uprooting trees and resulting in wall collapse that killed three people in Kutch and Rajkot districts of the state, authorities said.
Eight districts in coastal Gujarat are expected to be affected, the state government said. Fishing operations in the region have been suspended till Friday while schools have declared holidays.
According to the Gujarat government, 21 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and 13 teams of the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the state for rescue work.
"We have already started evacuations from coastal areas. More than 7,000 people have been evacuated so far and the number is expected to cross 50-60 thousand," said Kamal Dayani, a senior state official.
Two of India's largest ports -- Kandla and Mundra -- located in Gujarat, have suspended operations, the state government said. Other ports including Bedi, Navlakhi, Porbandar, Okha, Pipavav and Bhavnagar have also closed due to the cyclone, according to shipping sources.
A woman stands near the seafront as high tidal waves hit the coast in Mumbai on June 13 as cyclone Biparjoy makes its way across the Arabian Sea towards the coastlines of India and Pakistan. -- AFP
Reliance Industries, which operates the world's largest refining complex in Gujarat's Jamnagar, declared a force majeure, suspending exports of diesel and other oil products from Gujarat's Sikka port due to the storm, traders said.
The Adani conglomerate's ports business, Adani Ports, said it suspended vessel operations on Monday at Mundra, India's biggest commercial port that has the country's largest coal import terminal, and also at Tuna port near Kandla.
The Indian Coast Guard said it evacuated 50 personnel from a jack-up oil rig off Gujarat's coast named Key Singapore, which is owned by Dubai-based Shelf Drilling and currently working for Cairn Oil & Gas (Vedanta Ltd.), according to Shelf Drilling's website.