Cyclone Biparjoy Ground Report: Beach NDTV Reported From Now Submerged

Kutch:

Hours before Cyclone Biparjoy’s expected landfall in Gujarat, tidal waves caused by the approaching “very severe” storm swallowed up an entire beach in Kutch.

The Mandvi beach – from where an NDTV crew had reported since Tuesday evening – was inundated by the rising waters of the Arabian Sea around noon today. 

Despite the crew moving back nearly 500 metres from the water line, the swelling waves continued to move in further, prompting authorities to move all mediapersons away from the spot. The area around the beach had been evacuated on Tuesday itself.

Wind speeds are also rising, toppling portions of shops close to the beach that had been reinforced by the owners.

Cyclone Biparjoy is currently less than 200 km from the Gujarat coast. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a meeting today to review the preparedness for cyclone at the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar.

So far, nearly one lakh people have been moved to temporary shelters in eight coastal districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Morbi, Rajkot, Devbhumi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar and Gir Somnath, the government has said.

76 trains have been cancelled as a precautionary measure, the Western Railway said.