Cyclone 'Biparjoy': Evacuees in Pak complain of being given one-time meal of potato curry at relief camps

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 15 : The evacuees lodged in relief camps, amid a threat from cyclone 'Biparjoy', which has already made landfall in India, complained of being provided with a one-time meal of potato curry, reported Pak vernacular media.

As part of a massive operation, several coastal residents were forcefully evacuated even as they refused to leave their homes. However, the locals said they were troubled by the lack of facilities at the relief camps in Pakistan.

Several people are yet to be evacuated from coastal areas while about 90 per cent of villagers are still at their homes, reported Sindh Express.

Sindh Express is an Urdu daily published in Pakistan.

Authorities kept up vigil as cyclone 'Biparjoy', which the met agencies have classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, is expected to make landfall in Pakistan on Thursday midnight.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said the cyclone had slowed down but the "core remains intense".

She tweeted, "It will not make landfall before nightfall now. More information will be shared soon from the National Disaster Management Authority."

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in its 6 pm forecast, said the cyclone was likely to cross between Keti Bandar and India's Gujarat during the next "two to six hours," reported Dawn.

PMD's alert said the cyclone moved northeastward during the last three hours and was now at a distance of about 245km south of Karachi, 210km south of Thatta and 145km south of Keti Bandar.

Even though the district administration has set up 11 camps, accommodating about 15,000 villagers, they were not being provided with basic amenities, including food, reported vernacular media.

Ministers have made empty promises to the people in these camps as there are no facilities here, the reports stated, adding that people from other villages weren't willing to shift to these shelters.

Most people have been accommodated at relief camps in schools, but there is no arrangement for drinking water.

At some places, the local administration sought the help of the army to shift people to relief camps, reported Sindh Express.