Govt launches evacuation drive from district Badin
As many as 50,000 people will be evacuated from the villages in District Badin under the Sindh government’s evacuation plan to avoid any loss in the wake of tropical cyclone Biparjoy which is rapidly closing in.
Currently, the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) lies about 600 kilometres south of Karachi, 580km south of Thatta, and 710km southeast of Ormara, after moving further northward during the last 12 hours.
“The ESCS Biparjoy is most likely to track further Northward until 14 June morning, then recurve Northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh) and Indian Gujarat coast on 15 June afternoon as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS),” Pakistan Meteorological Department’s latest update on the storm stated.
Keeping in view the growing threat, the government had decided to evacuate the residential areas and other human settlements near the coast of Sindh as the risk of tropical cyclone Biparjoy present in the Arabian Sea escalates.
The evacuation drive began from the coastal areas of Badin, under which at least 2,000 people from the island of Shah Bandar were shifted to safe places.
After the visit, the chief minister headed a meeting to review arrangements for mitigating the impact of Biparjoy in the coastal belt at 31 Creek Conference Room in Sujawal.
While briefing the CM on the evacuation work, the Hyderabad commissioner said the evacuation began from Badin’s zero-point village Bhagra Memon. He said 50,000 people would be evacuated from the villages of Shah Bandar, Jati, and Keti Bandar.
The chief minister was informed that Biparjoy will hit the coast of Sindh on June 15, but its intensity will subside by June 17 to 18.
However, the seawater will surge as the wavelength will rise up to 4 to 5 metres when the storm hits, he added.
The decision to evacuate areas was taken on Sunday in a meeting chaired by Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon, where the participants discussed the preemptive measures regarding the cyclonic storm.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, alongside other relevant officials.
The authorities concerned have been directed to implement the evacuation plan in coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) by tomorrow (June 13), when the storm is likely to hit the coast.
Baba Bhit, Mubarak Village, Ibrahim Hydri Village, harbour, and other low-lying areas and villages along the coastal belt are included in the evacuation plan.
The meeting directed the Keamari, Malir, South, and Korangi deputy commissioners to ensure that all the residents of the said areas have been evacuated by the deadline, and shifted to safe places or relief camps set up for the facilitation of evacuees.
Moreover, directives for the evacuation from “dangerous buildings” have also been issued.
Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to hit the coastal belt of southeast Sindh between Pakistan/Rann of Kutch-Indian Gujarat coasts by June 15 afternoon as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS), officials said on Sunday evening.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that the cyclone could cause strong winds, torrential rains, and floods in coastal areas of the province.
