Emergency lifted
KARACHI: The city’s administration lifted the emergency in Karachi as Cyclone Biparjoy largely spared Pakistan. Cyclone made landfall in India’s Gujarat and weakened into a “cyclonic storm”.
Therefore, Karachi authorities lifted the ban on going into the open sea and also allowed the opening of schools.
On June 11, the government prohibited venturing into the open sea for sailing, fishing, swimming or bathing under Section 144.
Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon issued a notification citing the Met Office’s update and said the imposition of Section 144 stood infructuous.
The notification also said that the cancellation of leaves of officers and officials of the Karachi divisional and district administration also stood infructuous.
Cyclone weakens
The intensity of Cyclone Biparjoy weakened further on Friday. The weather experts felt relief after the very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) Biparjoy made landfall along the Indian Gujarat coast and Pakistan-India border. The cyclone spared the coastal areas of Sindh from significant damage.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said, “Pakistan is safe from the cyclone and a meeting is scheduled on Friday to discuss the next steps.”
She said that the rescue teams evacuated more than 80,000 individuals from the vulnerable coastal areas.
An image of cyclone Biparjoy which affected Pakistan and India on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Cyclone Biparjoy is a cyclone whose meanings are ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali language. On Thursday night it struck near Jakhau, a port in India’s Gujarat where it blew off houses, trees, and electric poles.
The officials of Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) anticipated that the cyclone will further weaken today.
“It is expected to move north-eastward and weaken into a cyclonic storm by morning 16 June and further weaken into a depression by evening 16 June,” the NDMA said.
