the state reserve police were deployed to the region, as well as 300 commandos from the state marine police. Boats and aircraft were sent to various locations across Gujarat to enable and assist search and rescue operations if required. The Indian Coast Guard, Army, Navy and Air Force were also all put on alert, with about 2,400 army personnel in 34 teams placed on standby, and naval diving teams assembled to conduct water rescues if necessary. Police officers also conducted night patrols to ensure that no residents were left behind in evacuated areas. Second approach to land After local governments were informed that Cyclone Vayu was likely to return to the coast of Gujarat, further preparations were undertaken, albeit minor due to the significantly weakened nature of the system. The IMD warned that heavy rainfall and large waves were expected, and had the potential to inundate low-lying areas such as the coastal salt marshes. As a precaution, the local government in the Kutch district of northern Gujarat asked salt pan workers in coastal areas from Bhachau to Mundra to stay home from work. The government noted that five teams from the NDRF that had been deployed in the initial large-scale preparatory measures would remain in Kutch for the anticipated landfall, and that several teams of local officers had been formed to help maintain safety and security throughout the event. Plans were made to evacuate local residents at short notice if required. Impacts Despite not making landfall, Cyclone Vayu tracked close enough to the Indian coastline to produce minor impacts. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and large waves were experienced along large sections of the country's western coast, particularly in Gujarat. Numerous thatched houses were either damaged or destroyed by gusty winds, with many kutcha houses having their roofs torn off. A large number of tin sheds were blown away, and many trees were uprooted along the Saurashtra coast and on the island of Diu. Strong winds caused the 150-year-old Bhuteshwar Mahadev temple in Porbandar to collapse and a metal shed at Somnath Temple to be damaged. Damage to power lines and electricity poles caused power cuts in more than 2,250 villages in Gujarat, with blackouts lasting for several days in some locations. The prolonged strong winds generated waves of around 4 m (13 ft) high along large parts of the coastline. Many low-lying coastal areas on the Saurashtra coast and southern