ISLAMABAD: The government has advised the people to remain vigilant and take the government’s warning very seriously as Cyclone Biparjoy prepares to make landfall on the morning of June 15th in the coastal areas of Sindh.
The government will engage all volunteers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who have been working during post-2022 floods in the process as some 100,000 people would be evacuated which will be completed by early June 15.
During a press conference here on Tuesday by Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman along with Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, the NDMA chief, while responding to a query, said that so far, about 65,000 people would be directly impacted although more could be likely.
Speaking on the occasion, Sherry Rehman, while emphasising the importance of staying calm, advised individuals to take the early warnings issued by the NDMA, and the PDMAs Sindh and Balochistan seriously, while cooperating with the provincial, district, and local governments in supporting evacuation and risk mitigation efforts.
“Government and citizens must take timely and proactive action. Saving lives is our first and foremost priority and evacuations are key in such situations. The Sindh government will continue efforts overnight to make sure that vulnerable communities are relocated to secure locations. We are also monitoring the evolving situation at multiple levels from Islamabad,” the minister said.
Rehman said the government was in close contact with all civil and military responders through virtual meetings after every three hours.
The minister highlighted that apart from Sindh and Balochistan governments, which are on the ground, the prime minister is supervising the risk mitigation and reduction efforts and has directed all relevant ministers to remain engaged with the Sindh and Balochistan governments on a 24/7 basis until the emergency is resolved.
The cyclone, categorised as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS), is anticipated to make landfall between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh Coastline) and Indian Gujarat in the afternoon of June 15, 2023, and mandatory evacuations have started in these areas.
She emphasised the likelihood of widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm rain, accompanied by heavy to extremely heavy precipitation and powerful wind squalls reaching speeds of 140-150 km/h, with gusts up to 170 km/h.
These adverse weather conditions are expected to persist in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas, and Umarkot districts from June 13th to 17th. Thatta, Sajawal, and Badin are expected to be hit by heavy rainfall ranging from 300mm to 400mm.
In addition, the minister conveyed that there is a high possibility of dust/thunderstorm rain, including a few heavy falls, accompanied by wind squalls ranging from 60-80kmh in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sanghar districts from 14th to 16th June.
“The cyclone’s reduced intensity is limited to the Balochistan side, but people in Kund Malir, Hub, Lasbela, and Winder are advised to exercise caution. Please don’t take the early warnings casually and remain vigilant.”
The intensity of the cyclone may fluctuate particularly in the vicinity of the Sindh coast, emphasising the need for utmost caution. Karachi is likely to experience urban flooding with up to 100mm of rain, and as a precautionary measure, evacuations have commenced in the Seaview areas, said the minister.
She further stated that the expectation is for the evacuations to be successfully completed by June 14, prior to the cyclone’s anticipated landfall.
Chairman NDMA Inam Haider Malik said the cyclone outlook projected before them was created by their technical and satellite data resources generated by various institutions reporting climate, weather, and hurricane situations after consensus.
He added that the NDMA had issued early warnings and advisories to the concerned based on the PMD’s early warning of heatwaves that would trigger glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the north and oceanic storms or cyclones due to projected extreme heatwaves onset.
The NDMA, he said had kept a check on the TC Biparjoy that intensified after June 5, whereas, its latest curve would be confirmed tomorrow (Wednesday) in the morning. Its direction was bending towards north and northeastward, he added.
The NDMA chairman added that initially, the Authority was focusing on the provision of shelter and ration to the affected people, whereas, proper data on the evacuated population was being maintained.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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