Cyclone weakens; Shah takes stock of damage

Coastal towns of Gujarat that were in the trajectory of cyclone Biparjoy began returning to normal life on Saturday, with businesses reopening and people back on the streets, a little over 48 hours after the storm tore through with winds of up to 140km/hr, a recovery that Union home minister Amit Shah lauded as a major achievement

- Maulik Pathak

JAKHAU/MANDVI/BHUJ: Shah surveyed the affected regions, including Jakhau and Mandvi, and said the lack of any fatalities was a testament to coordinated efforts of central and state personnel.

At a press conference later, the minister said 108,208 civilians were moved to safety, 760 babies were delivered under the supervision of medical teams, and 73,000 animals were relocated to secure locations in a mammoth preparation for the storm that arrived as a "very severe" cyclonic storm.

"It is a matter of deep satisfaction for us that the cyclone that landed on the coast at a speed of 140 kilometres per hour could not claim a single human life. I congratulate the Gujarat government right from the chief minister to the panchayats and the chief secretary for this remarkable feat," he said.