New Delhi: As cyclone Dana inches closer to Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal with landfall expected on early Friday (October 25), both the states have stepped up evacuation of people from the areas where the cyclone is expected to have maximum impact.
More than 1.14 lakh people in West Bengal have been evacuated, said government officials, Hindustan Times reported.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has said that 3 lakh people out of the targeted 10 lakh people have been evacuated so far in the state till Wednesday (October 23) evening.
“The severe cyclonic storm “DANA” (pronounced as Dana) over central & adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours, and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 24th October, over northwest & adjoining central Bay of Bengal, near latitude 18.5° N and longitude 88.2°E, about 260 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 290 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 350 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal),” The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) posted on X on Thursday (October 24) morning.
“It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during mid-night 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 IMD added.
Bhubaneswar airport suspends flight operations for 16 hours
Flight operations at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar will remain suspended for 16 hours from Thursday (October 23) evening.
Meanwhile, several districts of West Bengal received moderate to heavy rain on Thursday (October 24) morning. The cyclone is expected to result in heavy rainfall in several districts of south Bengal including Kolkata.
Very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpour in south Bengal districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts on October 24 and 24 is expected, said the Met Department, reported the Press Trust of India.
The eastern and south eastern railways have cancelled several trains in wake of the cyclone.
Odisha government forms teams to rescue crocodiles, snakes
The predicted landfall near Bhitarkanika in Odisha which is the second-largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sundarbans, forest officials suspect that crocodiles can move to human settlements with the increase in water level.
“If the water level increases, there are chances that the crocodiles may move to human settlements. We have formed two teams, each comprising seven persons, and provided them equipment to rescue crocodiles. Five other teams have also been formed for rescue of snakes from human habitations,” said Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav, DFO, mangrove wildlife division, Rajnagar, reported The Indian Express.
The Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts in Odisha are expected to face the maximum impact of the cyclone.
“The state has identified over 3,000 vulnerable locations (villages) across 14 districts, primarily along the coastal belt, and started evacuation procedures. As many as 10,60,336 people are likely to be evacuated before Cyclone Dana makes landfall,” Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.
