Climate Minister Senator Sherry Rehman has advised people living in the coastal areas to follow the advisories issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority ahead of the Biparjoy cyclone.
Taking to Twitter, Sherry Rehman said that while the cyclone’s intensity has reduced for Balochistan, it is still unpredictable and should not be taken casually. She said that Karachi may face urban flooding due to the winds.
“Biparjoy cyclone is real. Without panicking, people need to take PDMA Sindh and PDMA Balochistan advisories seriously for the coastal areas. So far it has reduced intensity only for the Balochistan side and am told that it is highly unpredictable, so please do NOT take it casually,” Sherry Rehman cautioned the public.
Read more: Climate change: Impacts on socio economic and agriculture sector of Pakistan
“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,” the Climate Minister further added.
#BiparjoyCyclone is real. Without panicking, people need to take @pdmasindhpk and @PDMABalochistan advisories seriously for the coastal areas. So far it has reduced intensity only for Balochistan side am told but it is highly unpredictable so please do NOT take it casually. It… pic.twitter.com/TN5GjpzqDJ
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 13, 2023
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.”
Every 3 hours we are coordinating with different stakeholders @ndmapk Islamabad. Pl take evacuation advice seriously. For coastal areas as advised by @pdmasindhpk @GovtofSindhPK the evacuations are mandatory for 2 UCs each from Badin andThatta including Keti bandar, pic.twitter.com/MFtseZei2W
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 13, 2023
She also shared a list of helplines citizens could reach out to.
Helpline #BiparjoyCyclone for high impact areas pic.twitter.com/gj3yaoRnK4
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 13, 2023
India, Pakistan brace for Biparjoy
Authorities in Pakistan and Indian coastal areas have begun efforts to evacuate thousands of residents as the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) “Biparjoy” closed in on Karachi.
The cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125 to 135 kilometres per hour (78 to 84 miles per hour) with gusts up to 150km/h (93mph), according to officials in both countries.
Instructions have been issued to all garrisons of the Pakistan Army regarding public assistance and rescue missions on an emergency basis. Fresh troops of the Pakistan Army have been dispatched from Hyderabad, Badin, and Malir cantonments to help the civil administration.
Around 90,000 citizens from Thatta, Sajawal, and Badin’s coastal areas must be shifted to safer places. Moreover, all garrisons of Karachi Corps have been readied for all kinds of relief activities and management of affected people.
Read more: Tropical Cyclone “BIPARJOY” intensifies into “Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm” of Category-3
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has advised fishing communities to halt operations and people in the Saurashtra and Kutch coastal areas of Gujarat to evacuate. Seven teams of India’s National Disaster Response Force and 12 State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed in the districts likely to be affected by the cyclone.