Cyclone Biparjoy aftermath: 1,000 villages in Gujarat without power; trees uprooted, houses damaged
Ahmedabad (PTI): Cyclone Biparjoy, which lashed Kutch-Saurashtra region, has left a trail of destruction as it damaged 5,120 electricity poles and rendered 4,600 villages without power even as the authorities said that no loss of human life has been reported.
Power supply has been restored in 3,580 villages, while more than 1,000 are still without electricity, officials said.
Nearly 600 trees got uprooted and traffic movement on three state highways came to a standstill due to damages and felling of trees, they said, adding that many houses were damaged due to the cyclone.
Biparjoy (meaning disaster or calamity in Bengali) unleashed destructive wind speeds of up to 140 kmph and incessant rains as trees and electricity poles were uprooted, while seawater entered villages located in low-lying areas, officials said.
Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, they said.
"No human death has been reported so far due to cyclone Biparjoy. The biggest achievement for the state is that not a single human death has been reported so far. This was possible because of our collective efforts," state Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told reporters in Gandhinagar.
More than one lakh people were shifted to safer places before the cyclone's landfall, he said.
Asked about a cattle-rearer duo of father and son dying on Thursday while trying to save their goats stuck in a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district, Pandey said that since the district was not cyclone-affected, their deaths were not counted as cyclone-related.
"The cyclone caused extensive financial loss to the state power utility - Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited - with 5,120 electricity poles getting damaged. They are being restored. As many as 4,600 villages were rendered without power, but electricity supply has been restored in 3,580 villages," he said.
Work to restore power supply in the remaining villages is underway, but inclement weather is posing hurdles in the task, Pandey said.
"Three state highways were closed as they suffered damages and saw felling of trees. A total of 581 trees were uprooted as per reports. As many as nine pucca and 20 kutcha houses were razed, and two pucca and 474 kutcha houses suffered partial damages," he said.
Sixty-five thatched houses were destroyed, and the government was preparing an order for immediate compensation to those who have suffered losses due to the cyclone, the official added.
Media, social service organisations, administration of eight affected districts and central and state ministers in-charge for different districts campaigned in their respective districts to ensure that rescue and relief operation was carried out with better coordination, he said.
"Inter-departmental coordination was also very good, with all of us receiving the guidance of the Chief Minister. He visited the State Emergency Operation Centre, interacted with the media and provided us guidance," he told reporters in Gandhinagar.
It was this collective effort that led to the state achieving one of the highest numbers of over one lakh people relocated to safe places from villages close to the Arabian Sea. With improvement in the situation, the local district administration will begin shifting back those relocated to safer places, he said.
Pandey said the data received so far is primary in nature and it will be revised when fresh information is received from the administration of affected districts by today evening. Data from Kutch will take time to reach because of continuing strong wind and heavy rainfall in the ground zero of the cyclone, he said.
The cyclone intensity has reduced from 'very severe' to 'severe' category hours after making landfall. The cyclone has moved north-eastwards and has weakened into a cyclonic storm and will become a depression by the evening over south Rajasthan, officials said.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
