Lakhs evacuated as Odisha, West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana impact
Authorities in Odisha and West Bengal evacuated lakhs of people, shut schools, cancelled more than 400 trains and suspended flight operations as they braced on Thursday for severe cyclonic storm Dana, which is expected to make landfall in Odisha past midnight at a speed of 120 kmph.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s latest bulletin at 5.30pm, ‘Dana’ moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred about 90 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 110 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 210 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).
Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government has deployed 385 rescue teams comprising 19 NDRF teams, ODRAF (51), Fire Service (220) and Forest staff (95). This apart, as many as 150 platoons (1 platoon comprise 30 personnel) of Odisha Police personnel have been pressed into service for rescue, road clearing and other activities at the ground level.
Claiming that the state was well prepared at the ground level to face the eventuality, Pujari said as many as 3.50 lakh people have so far been evacuated to the safety and house in 4,756 relief centres where they are provided with food and other materials. He said as many as 2,131 villages spread over 11 different districts would be affected in the cyclone.
As part of precautionary measures, the East Coast Railways cancelled 203 trains passing or originating through Odisha even as flight services remained suspended at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here for 16 hours from 5 pm of Thursday. Bus services have also been halted till the cyclone passes the state.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said his government was committed to “zero casualty” and all such arrangements are made for meeting the goal. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised about the state’s preparation.
The CM has rushed nine ministers including two deputy chief ministers to different districts and senior IAS officers to the ground for supervision of the rescue and relief operation.
The IMD has forecast that the cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port late Thursday night or early Friday morning.
“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during midnight of 24th to morning of 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph. The system is under continuous surveillance of the Doppler Weather Radar at Paradip,” the IMD said.
IMD DG Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the system is likely to cause extremely heavy rainfall, tidal surge up to 2 meters and some districts to experience high velocity winds of 120 kmph during landfall of the system.
Reports of heavy downpour, squally wind and uprooting of trees have been received from some areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkania and Puri, leading to blocked roads, officials said, adding that highest rainfall of 62 mm was recorded at Paradip, while Rajnagar in Kendrapara district received 24 mm over the last four hours.
Meanwhile, the IMD issued a ‘red warning’ (take action) for heavy to very heavy rainfall and wind speed of 100 kmph to 110 kmph in four districts –Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur – on Thursday night.
In neighbouring West Bengal, heavy rains and gusty winds battered the southern districts as the state administration evacuated over 2.5 lakh people to safety in anticipation of the impending severe cyclonic storm.
South Eastern Railway (SER), which oversees routes in West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, has cancelled more than 170 express and passenger trains scheduled between October 23 and 27.
In addition, Eastern Railway cancelled 68 suburban trains in the Howrah division for Friday morning, while all EMU local trains from Sealdah station were suspended from Thursday evening through Friday morning.
Kolkata Port authorities also halted ship movements until Friday evening as a precautionary measure.
Operations at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were suspended from 6 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday due to expected high winds and heavy rain.
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she would be staying the entire Thursday night at the state secretariat and personally monitor the situation. The chief secretary and home secretary would also be monitoring the situation from their respective residences and rejoin her on Friday morning.
Banerjee has urged the people not to spread rumors and create panic in this connection. “I seek your cooperation. Be alert. If the police or the administration ask you to evacuate a place, please pay heed to their advice. Do not venture into the waters. Fishing is prohibited now,” she said.
