As Cyclone Dana approaches the Odisha coast, the state is ramping up efforts to evacuate approximately 10 lakh residents from vulnerable coastal districts ahead of the cyclone’s anticipated landfall by October 25. Concurrently, over 1.14 lakh individuals in West Bengal have already been relocated to safety as a precautionary measure.
Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held a review meeting on the state’s readiness, indicating that only 30 percent of the targeted evacuees, roughly 3-4 lakh people living in identified ‘danger zones,’ had been successfully evacuated by Wednesday evening.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that Cyclone Dana will make landfall with wind speeds reaching up to 120 km/h (75 mph) between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port by Friday morning.
Key Developments
- Current Status of Cyclone Dana: The cyclone, which formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal, is projected to bring heavy rainfall to several southern districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata.
- Evacuation Plans: Chief Minister Majhi announced a target to evacuate 10,60,336 individuals from 14 districts. As of Wednesday evening, the government reported that over 30 percent of the evacuations had been completed.
- Transport Services Affected: To mitigate risks, the Eastern and South Eastern railways have cancelled numerous trains on October 24 and 25. More than 170 express and passenger trains have been suspended, with further cancellations possible as conditions worsen.
- Ferry Services Halted: All ferry services in the Sunderbans region, covering North and South 24 Parganas districts and across the River Hooghly in Kolkata, are also suspended due to the impending storm.
- Emergency Measures: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has established a control room and cancelled leaves for essential staff in preparation for any emergencies.
- Power Department Preparedness: Odisha’s power department has set up helpline numbers for the public to report any emergencies or outages.
- Heavy Rainfall Expected: The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly on October 24 and 25.
- Flight Operations Suspended: Flight operations at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata will be suspended for 15 hours starting at 6 PM on Thursday, in anticipation of Cyclone Dana’s impact.
- School Closures: The West Bengal government announced the closure of schools and academic institutions in several districts, including North and South 24 Parganas and Kolkata, from October 23 to October 26.
- NDRF Deployment: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned 56 teams across five states, including Odisha and West Bengal, to manage cyclone-related emergencies.
The Indian Coast Guard is on high alert, with vessels and aircraft mobilized to respond promptly to any emergency situations at sea. Authorities are closely monitoring Cyclone Dana’s path, ensuring all necessary precautions are taken to safeguard residents.
As the situation develops, residents in both Odisha and West Bengal are urged to stay informed and adhere to evacuation orders and safety guidelines.
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