Pakistan moves to relocate 100,000 people as cyclone Biparjoy nears

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Rescue personnel Tuesday scrambled to relocate over 100,000 people from Pakistan's southeastern coastal belt as cyclone Biparjoy drew closer to neighboring India.

Over 35,000 people from the coastal areas of Pakistan have already been evacuated, while operations are underway to relocate another 65,000, Salman Shah, the director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, told Anadolu.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the residents of the coastal towns and villages of Thatta, Badin, and Sajawal districts in southern Sindh province, which are most likely to be hit by the cyclone.

Biparjoy, which is currently some 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of the commercial capital Karachi, and 460km (285 miles) south of the Thatta district, has weakened into a "very severe cyclonic storm" from "extremely severe cyclonic storm" over the past 12 hours, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

The cyclone is expected to make a landfall between the Keti Bandar coast of the Tahtta district and Mandvi in India's Gujrat province in the afternoon of June 15, with tides of up to 4 meters (about 13 feet), possibly flooding seaside areas.

In the southeastern districts of Thatta, Sajawal, Badin, Tharparkar, and Mirpur Khas, Biparjoy is likely to dump up to 400mm rains and pack squally winds of 80-100km per hour, according to the latest alert issued by the Meteorological Department on Tuesday.

Although Karachi is not likely to take a direct hit from the cyclone, authorities have issued evacuation orders for several low-lying seaside areas, fearing flooding due to massive rains and high tides.

Voluntary evacuation orders have also been issued for a couple of residential areas near Karachi's famous Sea View Beach, given the severity of the cyclone.