Cyclone Vayu puts Gujarat ports on alert, vessels asked to leave

Port authorities in Gujarat have started gearing up to brace cyclone Vayu that is expected to hit the coast at 3 am on Thursday. Entry of ships at ports at Gujarat has been disallowed and those within the port area will be made to leave by Wednesday afternoon.

The severe cyclonic storm is expected to make a landfall along the coast between Diu, Pipavav and Mahuva.

On the preparedness, Sanjay Mehta, chairman, Deendayal Port Trust, or DPT (formerly Kandla Port Trust), told DNA Money, “People from Kandla port's low lying areas will commence starting Wednesday morning.”

Shelters for evacuation have been identified wherein these people will be moved.

At DPT as well as other ports, including those under the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), entry to all incoming vessels has been stopped. 

“Vessels have also been asked to leave the port area during the day on Wednesday and go to high seas as a precautionary measure,” said a GMB official.

It is safer to cast ships off for high seas rather than letting them be anchored in the port premises. 

DPT has set up three control rooms, including one at Vadinar and Gadhidham each.

All the ports are on high alert due to the approaching storm and all the staff on leave have been called back immediately.

On Tuesday, a mock drill on alertness was also carried out by GMB officials at Bhavnagar Port.

Though GMB has 39 minor and intermediate ports under the fold, only 11, including Porbandar, Veraval, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, are open for commercial operations. 

Even the fisheries department has sounded off warnings to the fishing community to return to the coast.

All the emergency services like health care facilities and fire brigade have been kept on high alert to attend to any emergency.