KARACHI: Sajawal district of Sindh has turned more vulnerable to powerful cyclone Biparjoy after high tides triggered by gusty winds and heavy showers have hit shores at Shah Bandar.
The local administration has evacuated several villages from Shah Bandar area after intensity of sea waves. Strong winds have knocked electricity poles down and transportation in the area is suspended.
Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Kotri, Matiari, Tando Allah Yar and Tando Muhammad Khan are receiving continous downpour. Huge tides are being reported along the affected coastline. There are reports that some villages in Kharo Chan have been inundated with sea water.
Catching some intensity now the tropical cyclone — Biparjoy — is hardly 300 kilometres away from Karachi and 288km from port Keti Bandar, the National Disaster Management Authority said in its latest update on Wednesday.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said the cyclone had moved north-northwestward during the last six hours.
The tropical cyclone is expected to maintain a northward trajectory until Wednesday morning and then it is likely to recurve eastward and will make a landfall between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh Coastline) and the Indian Gujarat Coastline in the afternoon of Thursday (June 15), as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS).
According to the latest NDMA forecast, tropical cyclone has weakened into a “Very Severe Cyclonic Storm” (VSCS) — Category 3, with sustained windspeeds of approximately 140-150 km/h and gusts up to 170 km/h.
On Wednesday morning, Biparjoy was located in the Arabian Sea near Latitude 21.2° N and Longitude 66.6° E, roughly 380 km south of Karachi and 390 km south of Thatta.
The areas likely to be affected by Cyclone Biparjoy include Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Ormara, Tando Allah Yar and Tando Mohammad Khan.
NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said more than one hundred thousand people would be evacuated till June 14 (Wednesday).
Addressing a presser flanked by Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, he said cyclone Biparjoy could hit the Keti Bander on Thursday. “The evacuation process at coastal belt of Thatta, Keti and Jaati Bander and Umerkot is underway,” he added.
He informed that the Keti Bunder coastline and adjoining areas had been alerted whereas the security and law enforcement agencies, provincial departments, and volunteers were engaged in shifting the population to safer places. “The evacuated population will remain in the relief shelters till the situation normalizes as strong windstorms and rains will take place,” he added.
All volunteers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who had been working during post-2022 floods would also be engaged in the process, he said. “The government of Sindh and other developments are engaged with the NDMA for relief activities,” he added.
The NDMA chairman said Pakistan Army, Pakistan Rangers, PDMA and NGO’S are ready to meet any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, Sherry Rehman underlined that the vacations of all government officials and staff had been canceled and hospitals were placed on high alert.
She asked the people living near coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan to seriously follow precautionary measures mentioned in advisories issued by the NDMA to meet any untoward situation due to Cyclone Biparjoy.
Accoridng to the Sindh CM House, out of the total vulnerable population of 71,380 residing in seven talukas of three districts (as estimated by the government), a total of 56,985 people had been evacuated by Tuesday evening.
Of these, over 22,000 people were evacuated voluntarily. The evacuation took place in Keti Bundar and Ghora Bari, part of Thatta district; Shah Bundar, Jati and Kharochann, part of Sujawal district; Shaheed Fazil Rahu tehsil (district Badin) and Badin.
Authorities backed by the military have evacuated about 45,000 people from coastal towns in the past two days. Another 35,000 were expected to be moved before the cyclone’s hits land on Thursday. However, strong winds already were reported from some of the southern coastal areas.
The displaced people are being accommodated in government buildings and temporary camps where Pakistan Army and NDMA are providing food, tents, mosquito nets and clean drinking water with the collaboration of provincial governments.
