Authorities in India and Pakistan evacuated tens of thousands of people from coastal areas on Tuesday as the “very severe” Cyclone Biparjoy looms.
The India Meteorological Department said that the cyclone had weakened from "extreme" to "very severe" amid forecasts that it will make landfall near Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch region.
The Gujarat government said that more than 20,000 people were moved to safer places from several districts that could bear the brunt of the cyclone.
It said the evacuations included 500 people from Junagadh district, 6,786 from Kutch, 1,500 from Jamnagar, 543 from Porbandar, 4,820 from Dwarka, 408 from Gir-Somnath, 2,000 from Morbi and 4,031 from Rajkot.
Pakistan’s Sindh province disaster management body said more than 37,000 people had been evacuated from its coastal areas.
Schools and other government facilities have been converted into relief camps, Sindh’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority representative Salman Shah told The National.
Death toll already on the rise
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of meteorology at the IMD, warned of the destruction of thatched houses, uprooting of power and communication poles, damage to roads, disruption of railways and damage to standing crops.
“The cyclone is still dangerous and we can expect large-scale damage. Wind speed would be 125kph to 135kph crossing to 150kph at the time of landfall,” Mr Mohapatra said.
At least three people, including two children, were killed in India's Kutch district due to the strong wind.
Two cousins, aged four and six, were killed after a wall collapsed due to the wind, while a woman on a motorbike died after a tree fell on her.
District collector Amit Arora said school buildings were converted into shelters to accommodate evacuees.
“There are 120 villages along 10km of the coastline and some 21,000 residents,” Mr Arora told The National.
"We have evacuated 7,000 people so far and we will complete the evacuation of the rest by this evening.
“We have made arrangements for food, water and medicine, and milk for the children.”
The Indian weather office said the cyclone will move north until midnight on Tuesday, then move north-north-east and cross Saurashtra and Kutch districts, which have oil refineries and major ports, and then into Pakistan.
The districts of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka have two of the biggest oil refineries while Kutch has the Mundra Port — India’s biggest and busiest - owned by billionaire Gautam Adani.
Adani Ports and Logistics Ltd on Monday suspended vessel operations at Mundra and Tuna ports.
Four teenage boys drowned in the sea on Monday at Mumbai’s Juhu Koliwada beach after they ignored high tides and rough sea warnings.
The coastal city along the Arabian Sea in neighbouring Maharashtra state has been pounded by heavy rains and gusty winds.
Sardar Sarfaraz from Pakistan's Meteorological Department said that cyclones occur annually in the area, usually without crossing the coastal belt, unlike Biparjoy.
He said Biparjoy is an "exact replica" of a 1999 catastrophic cyclone that killed more than 6,000.
"The storm originated in approximately the same location, is moving at a similar pace, and is projected to make landfall at Keti Bandar, just like the cyclone in 1999," Mr Sarfaraz said.
“The cyclone is currently heading north-west, posing a greater threat to the Indian side."
In Pakistan, “Thatta and Sujawal ports are particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to the Indian region", Mr Sarfaraz added.
Mr Shah said the “health department has established desks at relief camps in vulnerable regions to prevent the spread of diseases".
The evacuation is currently underway in Sindh, but Mr Shah said some people were reluctant to leave their homes. He urged citizens to co-operate with officials.
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
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0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
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Price: Dh13,400,000
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'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
more from Janine di Giovanni
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
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RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
Company%20Profile
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
