Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall between Puri and Sagar Island on Thursday night and Odisha and West Bengal have been aggressively preparing to tackle any situation. Dana is likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph.
In view of the cyclone, the Odisha government has closed schools and advised fishermen to avoid going out till October 24. Tourists and pilgrims have also been asked to avoid traveling to Puri till the time.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Odisha is likely to witness heavy rainfall till Oct 24. Earlier, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting to assess the preparedness.
Cyclone Dana: How Is Odisha Preparing?
At least 1.1 million people on India’s eastern coast are fleeing to storm shelters inland, hours before a powerful cyclone is expected to hammer the low-lying region. The Odisha government is facilitating the evacuation drives from 3,000 villages in 14 districts to relief camps, an official statement said.
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Arrangements have been made for the provision of food, drinking water, lighting, sanitation and health facilities to the people to be evacuated to such shelters, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.
According to IMD forecast, fourteen districts in Odisha are likely to bear the brunt of cyclone Dana: Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj. In West Bengal, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur, along with coastal areas and neighbouring districts like Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly, will witness the worst impact of impending cyclone.
Schools shut in wake of Cyclone Dana
All schools and education institutes have been closed in Odisha and West Bengal till October 26 in the wake of Cyclone Dana. Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions will remain closed in 14 districts of Odisha from October 23-25.
Downpours also began lashing areas of neighboring West Bengal state, where some districts are also likely to be hit, prompting officials there to be on high alert.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the Press Trust of India news agency that around 300,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas, adding that three districts were likely to be severely affected.
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Cyclone Dana: Civil services exam postponed
The Odisha Public Service Commission(OPSC) has postponed the Odisha Civil Services Preliminary Examination – 2023-24, which is scheduled to be held on October 27. As per the official notice published by the Commission, the revised date for the exam will be notified after a week.
The cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (kmph).
Cyclone Dana: How Is Bengal Preparing?
The India India Meteorological Department on Thursday issued a cyclone warning over northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal. The weather agency said that “severe cyclonic storm” Dana moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 8:30 am today over northwest Bay of Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that she has created a seven-member team of Principal Secretaries, who will function as observers, have been deployed in nine the districts to monitor the situation and take action.
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Flights, Trains Affected
Over 170 express and passenger trains running through South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction have been cancelled in view of the severe cyclonic storm. EMU local trains from Sealdah station to Hasnabad sections will remain suspended from 8 pm on October 24 till 10 am on October 25. The last train Hasnabad and Namkhana stations, which are close to the coastal areas in North and South 24 Parganas districts, will depart towards Sealdah by 7 pm on October 24, the officials said.
Flight operations at Kolkata airport will be suspended for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday in view of the possible impact of cyclone Dana, an official said, as per PTI.“In view of cyclone Dana’s impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, it has been decided to suspend the flight operations from 6 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall at Kolkata,” an AAI spokesperson said.