New Delhi: A family in Gujarat decided to name their newborn girl ‘Biparjoy,’ derived from the cyclone that hit the coast in the Saurashtra-Kutch region on Thursday. According to a report by news agency IANS, the family, currently residing in a temporary shelter in Jakhau, Kutch, is a part of the people who were relocated to safer locations ahead of the landfall.
The name Biparjoy, which translates to “disaster” or “calamity” in Bengali, was coined by Bangladesh.
Born just a month back, the baby girl has now been initiated into a distinctive group of children whose names are inspired by cyclones, such as Titli, Fani, and Gulab, that were derived from previous cyclones affecting the eastern coast.
The name Biparjoy was originally approved by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) nations in 2020.
It is to be noted that the WMO website ensures distinct names are assigned to tropical cyclones to avoid misinterpretations, especially since they can last for a week or more, and multiple cyclones can co-exist. The use of names helps in faster storm recognition, facilitates media coverage, sparks public interest in weather warnings, and fosters community preparedness.
Meanwhile, the cyclone wreaked havoc in Gujarat’s Devbhoomi Dwarka district, causing several incidents of tree falls and injuring at least three people. The destructive winds and relentless rainfall accompanied the cyclone as it made landfall on the Kutch coast on Thursday evening.
Officials reported numerous uprooted trees and electricity poles near the towns of Jakhau and Mandvi in Kutch district. Additionally, tin sheets used in house construction were blown away by the strong winds. In Dwarka reports of walls collapsing also came to the fore.
As of 7 pm, there were no reported fatalities, according to Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi. He was quoted as saying by news agency PTI that three individuals in Devbhoomi Dwarka district had sustained injuries from falling trees and were currently receiving medical treatment. Teams, comprising the Gujarat Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Army, were deployed across Dwarka to clear the uprooted trees and restore electricity poles.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the landfall process will be completed by midnight.