Devendra Kumar
The cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall along Pakistan’s southern coast, evacuation efforts are underway to remove 80,000 people from low-lying areas, including 22,000 who have already been relocated. The storm is forecast to be the most powerful to hit the region since 2021, bringing maximum sustained winds of 111mph. Thousands in neighboring India have also sought shelter, with the Indian Meteorological Department warning of a “high-end” impact.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority reported that the cyclone was 292 miles south of Karachi on Tuesday morning, with authorities in Gujarat, India, estimating that 20,580 people from coastal districts have been evacuated to relief camps. In Gujarat, a woman was killed and her husband injured when a tree fell on their motorcycle, while four boys were washed away by a high tide in Mumbai. Fishermen in both countries have been advised to stay ashore and move their boats to safer locations.
Pakistan’s government, backed by the military, has evacuated thousands of people from coastal towns, with the remaining 58,000 expected to be moved before the cyclone’s landfall on Thursday. The country’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, assured that the government will do its best to ensure the speedy evacuation of people from coastal areas and promised efforts will be made to return them home once the situation improves.
Experts have warned that climate change is leading to an increase in cyclones in the Arabian Sea region, with Pakistan being one of the top 10 countries most affected by climate change. A recent study found that the frequency, duration, and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, while a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2019 stated that the intensity of tropical cyclones would increase in a warmer climate.
The impending cyclone comes just a year after devastating floods in Pakistan, which left 1,739 people dead and caused billions of dollars in losses. The country’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has assured that his government is working to ensure the safe evacuation of people from vulnerable areas and the maintenance of essential services, while praying for everyone’s safety and well-being.