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Gujarat industry on high alert

Suresh R Menon

Four months after the devastating quake, Gujarat is now in the path of another natural disaster, with a severe cyclonic storm expected to hit the south Gujarat coast between Surat and Veravel on Saturday morning.

Though a late night agency report quoted the India Meteorological Department chief, AB Mazumdar, as saying the cyclonic storm has slightly moved away from the Gujarat coast, the possibility of it again turning and coming back cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, industries in the Surat-Veravel belt of south Gujarat and Saurashtra coast are taking all precautionary steps to minimise damages.

Kandla, one of the country's busiest ports, will suspend operations from Friday morning. "We will suspend the entire port operations from Friday morning as a precautionary measure," Kandla Port Trust chairman AK Joti said. He said cargo was currently being moved to nearby warehouses and workers had been asked not to report for duty until the cyclone moved away from the coast.

Larsen & Toubro, which has a cement factory in Kovaya taluka of Amreli district on the Gujarat coast, has already set up a 24-hour control room for offsite and onsite emergency monitoring.

L&T vice-president Muraleedharan said, "Our fire and safety department is fully geared up to meet any eventuality. We have issued guidelines to people staying in residential areas on how to tie down objects and prevent them from flying off in case of high velocity winds." Since the colony is near the coast, detailed plans have also been drawn up to evacuate them if required. "Since we had faced a similar situation in June 1996, we are fully equipped to tackle this cyclone," he added.

Meanwhile, a Reliance spokesman said on Thursday that the cyclone path suggests that it would miss the company's Jamnagar refinery, and that operations would not be affected.

Indian Rayon Ltd, which has a rayon plant in Veraval with over 5,000 employees and the largest residential colony in the region, has also set up a 24-hour control room. Senior general manager SB Shrivastava said the control room plans to switch off all the power lines the moment the cyclone hits and switch on the diesel generation sets.

Gujarat Pipapav Port Ltd president (port) G C Bhatia said two ships carrying coal, expected to reach the port on Friday, have been diverted.

Ships already docked have been unloaded and will sail out by early Friday morning. Fire-fighting equipment, ambulances and other vehicles have been placed on standby and the president's office has been converted into a 24-hour control room.

Gujarat Adani Port Ltd president Malay Mahadevia said, "We are continuously monitoring the position of the cyclone through internet, TV channels and telephonic inquiries."

The de-berthing of all the vessels alongside the jetties and the multi-purpose terminal is being done so that no damage is caused to either the vessels or the jetties. Doors of dry cargo godowns, inlet and outlet valves of liquid terminals and tanks have been shut to ensure that there is no contamination of products, he said.

Mahesh Gupta, chairman of Indo Brine Industries Ltd, which has a salt refinery in Kandla, said all operations of the refinery have been suspended and employees and labourers given a holiday tomorrow. Power has also been switched off as a precautionary measure.

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