The Gujarat government announced on Monday its decision to provide compensation to farmers and cattle owners who suffered losses in the aftermath of cyclone 'Biparjoy', while also revealing the significant damage incurred by the state's power infrastructure, estimated at Rs 783 crore. As life gradually returns to normalcy in Gujarat, the government has initiated assessments to determine the extent of the destruction caused by the severe storm, marking the second cyclone to hit the state since May 2021, as reported by PTI.
Teams have been dispatched to the affected districts to conduct thorough evaluations of the damages, informed Rushikesh Patel, Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson, following a Cabinet meeting held in Gandhinagar. The state government has pledged to compensate farmers and cattle owners based on the findings of the ongoing survey.
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Preliminary assessments indicate that Gujarat's power infrastructure suffered a loss of Rs 783 crore due to cyclone 'Biparjoy', resulting in power outages reported across 6,486 villages after the cyclone made landfall on June 15, Patel revealed. However, significant progress has been made in restoring electricity, with 5,753 villages having already regained power, and efforts are underway to reinstate power in the remaining areas.
Tragic consequences were witnessed in the lives of livestock, as cyclone-related incidents including lightning strikes and fallen trees resulted in the loss of approximately 1,320 cattle and nearly 1,900 poultry birds, shared Patel. A sum of Rs 1.62 crore has been disbursed as compensation for the deaths of 1,129 cattle, and eligible cattle owners can expect their payouts soon.
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The preliminary assessment also revealed the uprooting of nearly 14,800 fruit-bearing trees spread across 53,000 hectares in districts including Kutch, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Porbandar, attributed to the powerful winds accompanying the cyclone.
Notably, due to advanced disaster management planning and timely evacuation of nearly 1 lakh people from vulnerable areas prior to the cyclone's landfall, no human lives were lost in Gujarat, emphasized Patel, highlighting the effectiveness of the state's preparedness measures.
