Rupani declares closure of alert for Cyclone Vayu in Gujarat

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani after reviewing the situation related to Vayu Cyclone today declared closure of alert for Vayu Cyclone. He said the persons evacuated shall be allowed today to return back to their homes.

Rupani said cash doles of around Rs. 5.5 crore will be paid for three days to those who stayed in relief camps. Rupani said port activities are now allowed and GSRTC buses will start operating by evening today. He said schools/colleges in vulnerable districts shall reopen from tomorrow.

He said the senior Govt officials and ministers who were sent to vulnerable districts are to be called back later today. He said power in 144 villages will be restored in a day.

Rupani said detailed documentation of Government’s efforts in response to Vayu cyclone will be made so that it can be used in future for guidance.

“Gujarat is safe as I told yesterday thanks to the blessings of Kaliya Thakor of Dwarka, Harisiddhi Mata and Bhagwan Somnath,” the Chief Minister said. -DeshGujarat

Official note:

Even as the cyclone Vayu finally skirts Gujarat coast and moved towards northwest direction in the Arabian Sea to the relief of all, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today reviewed the latest situation and directed the administration in the ten coastal districts to restore normalcy.

Presiding over the high-level meeting in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel at the State Emergency Operation Centre here, he said that all the 2.75-lakh people who were shifted from the low-lying 10-km belt along the coast as a preventive step to be safely sent back. The State Government will pay each adult cash dole of Rs.60 per day and minors Rs.45 per day for three days.

He asked all the Guardian Ministers, Guardian Secretaries who were posted in respective districts should return by Friday afternoon. He directed all clear signals issued to Disaster Management teams in different districts.

Mr. Rupani directed that schools and colleges which were closed down looking to the safety of the students would reopen on Saturday as per schedule. The GSRTC buses would start plying as per schedule from Saturday. The seaports on the Saurashtra & Kutch border would start operating soon.The uprooted trees and other obstacles have been removed from the highways. Electricity supply has been restored in all the 2,000 affected villages, except 144 villages where it is expected to be restored by Friday evening.

He said that all necessary steps were taken for coordination among different departments to ensure minimum loss to life and property by Agriculture, Health, Roads & Buildings, Women & Child and other departments. The Health Department felicitated delivery of 199 expecting mothers during this period.

Mr. Rupani thanked the Union Government, Indian Meteorological Department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Central agencies like Army, Navy and Airforce, people and mass media for their cooperation during the hours of alertness. NDRF teams from other states will return to their bases on Saturday.

He called for documentation of the strategy and master plan prepared by the State Government down to the micro level to meet any eventuality, for ready reference and guidance in future. It was a great experience for the administration to be chronicled.

Others present at the high-level meeting included Chief Secretary J.N. Singh, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailashnathan, Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Pankaj Kumar and GSDMA CEO Anuradha Mall