Cyclone Biparjoy approaches Gujarat

India Meteorological Department (IMD) is predicting massive destruction to kaccha homes and extensive crop loss as Cyclone Biparjoy is about to make landfall and impact Kutch and the adjoining districts of Gujarat.

AID, with its partner Janpath, has been working in the Rann of Kutch with the Agariya tribal community (traditional salt workers) and a major success has been providing solar panels for pumping brine water without needing to use diesel, thereby saving on heavy recurring costs and environmental damage.  Now over 2000 Agariya families have solar panels (starting with over 300 that AID facilitated which was followed by the government’s initiatives to scale up).

We are happy to find from our partners that this being the monsoon season, the salt production has ceased, and all the solar panels are safe.   The Agariya and fisher communities from the coast have been shifted to safer zones by the initiative of the state government, where our partners are also helping coordinate. One of the concerns is the plight of migrant workers from Bihar and UP in the port areas who may not be registered — whether they have been able to shift.

As we track the situation, we hope the cyclone loses intensity and weakens in the next few hours to cause lesser damage.

Our partners are preparing to help.  So are we.

AID’s All India Relief Fund helps AID partners respond to disasters anywhere in India by providing immediate relief and rehabilitation.  Please donate generously.

Image of Cyclone Biparjoy, courtesy NASA.