Cyclone Dana Highlights: Severe cyclone makes landfall along Odisha-Bengal coasts; rail & flight ops suspended

Severe cyclonic storm Dana over the northwest Bay of Bengal has moved north-northwest at 13 km/h in the past 3 hours. As of 9:30 pm, it was centered approximately 60 km east-southeast of Paradip, 80 km south-southeast of Odisha’s Dhamra, and 180 km south-southwest of Sagar Island in West Bengal.

Telecom service providers in Odisha have activated intra-circle roaming in seven districts of the state which were put under ‘red-warning' for cyclone Dana, a minister said on Thursday.

State Electronic and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the intra-circle roaming allows telecom operators to use each other's network and such an arrangement has been activated in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Cuttack districts since 8 am.

As per a circular issued by the Department of Telecommunication, the intra-circle roaming facility has been activated among all four service providers—BSNL, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone, he said.

"With the activation of the facility, telecom users can avail uninterrupted service in the seven districts," he said.

DG sets have been made available at all telecom towers to manage the situation if there is an electricity failure, the minister said.

To further ensure that customers stay connected, Jio has enabled Interconnect Roaming (ICR) in Odisha and West Bengal, said a company official. It will enable customers to remain connected with the available network irrespective of any service provider at that point in time, he added.

(PTI)

The severe cyclonic storm Dana over the northwest Bay of Bengal has moved north-northwest at 15 km/h in the past six hours. As of 8:30 pm, it was centered approximately 70 km east-southeast of Paradip, 90 km south-southeast of Odisha's Dhamra, and 190 km south-southwest of Sagar Island in West Bengal.

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening about the state's preparedness for cyclone Dana.

During their discussion, the Chief Minister provided details on the ongoing relocation process and reported on the fatalities among security forces, NDRF, and ODRAF personnel involved in ensuring public safety. PM Modi had also spoken with CM Majhi this afternoon to receive updates on Odisha's cyclone preparedness.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Amit Shah also spoke with the Chief Minister, promising full assistance and cooperation.

Suresh Pujari, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister said, "Around 10 districts are likely to be affected by the cyclone comprising 60 blocks, 2131 villages, 12 urban local bodies and 55 wards in different urban local bodies."

"The evacuation process has almost reached its conclusion. Almost 4 lakh people have already been evacuated. We have prepared 7307 relief centres across different districts," Pujari said.

He added that 213 medical teams have been deployed to take care of the evacuated people and 120 veterinary teams have also been positioned in different locations.

"The total response force employed in different districts is 385-- 19 NDRF, 51 ODRAF, 220 fire services teams, and 95 Odisha Forest Development Corporation teams are also deployed," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday said that the administration identified over 3.5 lakh people to be evacuated from low-lying areas of the state in the wake of the approaching cyclone Dana.

She said that she would be staying the entire night at the state secretariat and personally monitor the situation.

"For the purpose of evacuation from low-lying areas, we have identified 3,56,941 people," Banerjee said, as quoted by news agency PTI. At least 2,43,374 people have taken shelter in camps, she added.

She said that a 24x7 helpline (2214 3526) and some associated phone numbers have been made functional for monitoring and sharing information.

"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.

Odisha Disaster Minister Suresh Pujari said the authorities will reassess the situation tomorrow morning after the cyclone makes landfall.

He said, "Everything is under control as of now, officials are monitoring the situation at different spots. Tonight is very important and we will reevaluate the situation tomorrow morning after the cyclonic storm makes landfall."

As cyclone Dana continues to barrel towards the Odisha coast, residents in Kendrapara district are rushing to relief camps.

Heavy rains have been lashing the coastal villages since morning as the storm approaches the coastal areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts.

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 kmph, the IMD said.

"More than the wind velocity, we are deeply concerned about the tidal surge, which could wreak havoc in the region. The IMD has forecast a tidal surge of at least one to two metres. As the sea has become turbulent with massive waves crashing on the shore, we rushed back to the cyclone centre this morning," said Rabindra Maity, a local from Talchua village near Bhitarkanika National Park, as quoted by news agency PTI.

"We fear tidal ingress into our villages as sea waves batter the shorelines. The advancing sea may cause more damage than the storm itself," said Arjun Mohanty, a resident of Okilopala village in Rajnagar.

The relief camps are equipped with essential provisions, including food, drinking water, baby supplies, and women police officers.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Odisha government has evacuated nearly 4 lakh people from low-lying and vulnerable areas of 11 coastal and northern districts ahead of the landfall of severe cyclonic storm Dana, expected in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

A total of 7,285 cyclone shelters, including 6,443 temporary shelters, have been prepared by the administration to accommodate the evacuees. Instructions have been issued to provide cooked food and other facilities to the people at the shelters, said Majhi.

As many as 2,338 pregnant women expecting delivery in two weeks have been moved to various hospitals.

Sujit Bisoyi reports from Odisha

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island.

It will make landfall close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha), between the midnight of October 24 and the morning of October 25.

A landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water. As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made landfall when the centre of the storm – or its eye – moves over the coast.

As per the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the centre, it is possible for a cyclone’s strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur. Read More

Ahead of suspending flight operations because of cyclone Dana, the Kolkata airport authorities started making arrangements to ensure the safety of people, planes, and infrastructure at the facility.

Flight operations at the airport will be suspended for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday.

All entry and exit doors of the terminal building will be sealed after the last flight departs from the Kolkata airport while the aircraft parked on the bays will be tied up, airport Director Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

“In addition, all aerobridges will be retracted and ladders will be tied together to prevent those from moving and hitting planes during the storm,” Beuria said.

Following the standard operating procedure, all vehicles used in the airside of the airport will be removed from the operational area. “All ground handling equipment will also be chained together so that nothing moves due to the gusts,” the airport director said.

All ground handling units or agencies will ensure that nothing - no materials related to their work – is left in the open. This is done to ensure that there is no flying debris during the storm. They could cause damage to aircraft parked on the tarmac, Beuria said, as quoted by PTI.

With cyclone Dana moving rapidly towards the Odisha coast, the authorities on Thursday advised devotees against visiting the Jagannath temple in Puri.

Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain said that the devotees, including those undertaking a month-long ‘Kartik Brata' ritual, should also be discouraged from visiting the temple as a safety measure.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in a statement, as quoted by news agency PTI, said that all measures were being taken to protect the shrine located in the seaside town while keeping the daily rituals intact. The administration said that measures have been taken to ensure that loose materials like GI sheets, scaffolding tubes, and others do not get affected in the gale.

According to the IMD forecast, Puri district is likely to experience wind at the maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour during the landfall of the severe cyclone Dana early on Friday. The district will also receive heavy rainfall.

Evacuating old and dilapidated buildings, monitoring electricity lines, and setting up a 24-hour control room with emergency teams on standby – as cyclonic storm Dana continues to barrel towards coastal Odisha and West Bengal, Kolkata braces for its impact.

According to officials, the city is keeping in mind the thousands of old and dilapidated houses that line the city while preparing itself. The city also saw over 5,000 trees uprooted during Cyclone Amphan which hit Bengal in 2020 and is keeping response teams ready.

“There are thousands of old and dilapidated houses in Kolkata, some of which have been declared ‘dangerous’ by the KMC. People have been evacuated from such houses. We are also co-ordination with the Kolkata Police,” said a highly-placed KMC official. Read More

As cyclone Dana approaches landfall tonight, members of the Red Cross Society and other social organizations are evacuating people living in vulnerable areas of Dhamra in the Bhadrak district. Elderly and ailing individuals are being transported to the cyclone shelter on stretchers.

The Orissa High Court will remain closed on Thursday and Friday in view of cyclonic storm Dana, according to a notification.

"In view of the upcoming natural calamity, severe cyclonic storm Dana, the functioning of the court and offices of the high court shall remain closed on October 24 & 25," said the notification issued by the registrar (judicial) of the HC on Wednesday, as quoted by news agency PTI.

In view of severe cyclone 'Dana' approaching the coast, the West Bengal government has evacuated more than 1.14 lakh people from vulnerable areas, including Sundarbans and Sagar Island, to safer shelters, according to an official statement.

To support the evacuation efforts, 13 battalions from West Bengal's disaster management team and 14 battalions of the NDRF have been deployed in the coastal regions of the state, officials said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

The state government has identified 2,82,863 people from the districts of Bankura, Hooghly, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Paschim and Purba Medinipur, and Kolkata for evacuation. So far, 1,14,613 people have already been moved to safety, they added.

The state government has distributed tarpaulins and ensured that dry rations, powdered milk, and drinking water pouches are available across these districts, preparing for the potential crisis, the officials said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Popular sea beaches of Odisha wore a deserted look on Wednesday as the state is making preparations to tackle cyclone Dana which is likely to make landfall in the early hours of October 25.

Besides gusting wind, the cyclone will bring torrential rain and tidal waves in the state, because of which the administration has restricted entry of people to the beaches.

Except for some police personnel, no visitors could be found on the seashores of Puri, Gopalpur, Paradip, Chandipur and others.

(PTI)

The Kolkata airport authorities have decided to suspend flight operations for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday in view of the possible impact of cyclone Dana, an official said.

The step has been taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers, airline employees, various equipment, navigational aids, and infrastructure, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said on Wednesday.

“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, in a post on X.

(With inputs from PTI)

As cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra areas of Odisha, Superintendent of Police Puri, Vineet Agrawal, said that the police are prepared with two teams from ODRAF and NDRF deployed at strategic locations.

"Two teams of ODRAF and NDRF have been deployed at strategic locations...Our target is to ensure that there are zero casualties...There are 36 members in a team...I urge the public to not panic and follow the advisories issued by the district administration," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Sambit Patra said that Puri is in the orange zone, "I had a meeting with the Collector of Puri and other officials. Puri is in the orange zone, and 179 shelters have been built."

"Around 11 teams of the fire department have also been deployed...Proper arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of the public. Odisha government is fully prepared," he added.

The preliminary test of the Odisha civil service examination, 2024, has been postponed in view of the impending cyclone Dana, which will hit the Odisha coast by October 25.

According to a notice issued by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), the preliminary examination, which was scheduled to be held on October 27 has been postponed and a fresh date will be notified after seven days, news agency PTI reported.

The OPSC has advised the candidates to visit its official website for further information.

Parts of Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts in Odisha experienced rain and adverse weather conditions on Wednesday afternoon with the Indian Meteorological Centre (IMD) saying that the outer bands of Cyclone ‘Dana' has begun to affect the eastern coastline.

Senior IMD scientist Umashankar Das posted on X, "According to radar data from Paradip, the outer band of Cyclone ‘Dana' has touched the land mass in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts." He clarified that while the cyclone is around 500 km offshore, its outer bands, composed of clouds, can influence local weather conditions.

The IMD said Cyclone ‘Dana' is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port, a distance of around 70km, early Friday.

(With inputs from PTI)

The state’s revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said around 5,000 shelters and relief centres have been prepared by the administration and instructions have been issued to shift people by Wednesday evening. The government has planned to evacuate around 10 lakh people from low-lying and vulnerable areas.

The state has put the government machinery on high alert and started shifting people from vulnerable areas to designated shelters prepared by the administration.

To assist the local administration, the government has deployed over 20 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and several fire service personnel. While 20 NDRF teams have already been deployed, five more have been airdropped from Bhatinda in Punjab.