Cyclone Dana Update: Schools and educational institutions are shut down, more than 150 trains are canceled, and 20 NDRF teams in Orissa and 14 in West Bengal are deployed for rescue mechanisms. Cyclone Dana is expected to land on Odisha’s Puri and Bengal’s Sagar Island on Thursday evening.
On Wednesday morning, the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Dana,’ leading to the evacuation of people from coastal areas. The depression over the east-central Bay Of Bengal was moving at 6kmph towards the west-northwestward.
The India Meteorological Department said the cyclone will hit the coast between Odisha’s Puri and West Bengal’s Sagar Island from the night of October 24 to the morning of October 25, with a gusting wind speed of 100-110 kmph.
Odisha is all set to take on ‘Dana’, relying on its past experiences
Six senior IAS officers with proven records of dealing with cyclones have been deployed in the Odisha districts to supervise the local administration. General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD director is anticipating Orissa to be the most affected with heavy rainfalls and wind speeds.
The districts on high alert include Puri, Cuttack, Khordha, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj Angul, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, and Ganjam.
“We are expecting around 10 lakh evacuations, Priority will be given to shift pregnant women, children, and aged persons first. We are ensuring all basic facilities, including cooked food, at the shelters,” the state’s revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari told reporters
.Recent developments in the rescue mechanisms include-
- 20 NDRF teams AND 14 in West Bengal are deployed at the coast along with Army, Navy, and coast guards.
- 51 teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 178 fire service teams are also deployed in vulnerable regions.
- The Indian Coast Guard is on high alert and has deployed helicopters and remote operating stations at Paradip in Odisha and Haldia in West Bengal. Broadcasting of regular weather updates at regular intervals and safety advisories to fishermen and mariners will be taken care of.
- Over 5,000 relief centers have been set up to provide food, water, milk, and medicines to the injured.
- Schools and educational institutions have been shut down in 14 districts from Wednesday to Friday.
‘Dana’ in West Bengal: seven districts on high alert
Mamta Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister said, a 24*7 control room is operational to take care of the cyclone. All the government authorities are on alert to tackle any unforeseen situation.
The major districts supposedly impacted by Cyclone Dana include, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur. Coastal areas like Paschim Mednipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly are also on high alert. The schools and educational institutions in these districts are shut down anticipating heavy rainfall and speedy winds.
The railway authorities have canceled the operation of over 150 trains as a precautionary measure. Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Yesvantpur Express Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express, are among the 150 trains cancelled.
