Cyclone Biparjoy, which hit the Gujarat coast on Thursday evening, has weakened into a 'deep depression' and is further expected to weaken into a 'depression' in the next six hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday morning.
"Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy weakened into a Deep Depression at 2330 hours IST of yesterday, the 16th June, 2023 over Southeast Pakistan adjoining Southwest Rajasthan and Kutch about 100 km northeast of Dholavira. To weaken further into a Depression during next 12 hours," IMD tweeted.
Meanwhile, earlier it was reported that several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch, due to the impact of the cyclone. On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work.
According to IMD reports, the cyclone, which originated in the Arabian sea and swept across the west coast of India made landfall on Thursday night around 10 km north of the Jakhau Port in Kutch.
The storm caused extensive financial loss to the state power utility Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited with 5,120 electricity poles getting damaged, Commissioner of Relief Alok Kumar Pandey said, according to news agency PTI.
As many as 4,600 villages were left without power, but electricity supply was restored in 3,580 villages, he added.
At least 23 people were injured and 24 animals died due to cyclone-related incidents while many houses were also damaged after the cyclone made landfall in Gujarat. According to Pandey, a total of 581 trees were uprooted. Nine pucca and 20 kutcha houses collapsed, and two pucca and 474 kutcha houses suffered partial damage. Sixty-five thatched houses were destroyed.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel on Friday held a high-level meeting at the State Emergency Operation Center to review the situation created by Cyclone Biparjoy. "Detailed details of the status of coastal districts were obtained by conducting video conference with the Collectors of the respective districts," he tweeted.