Odisha eyes ‘100% evacuation’ as cyclone Dana approaches

The government has urged tourists and pilgrims from other states to leave Puri town by Wednesday morning. Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari also urged people not to visit Puri on October 24 and 25, considering the IMD forecast that the town may be affected. Puri, where the temple of Lord Jagannath is located, draws a large number of pilgrims from across the country.

President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Odisha, scheduled between October 23 and 25, has also been postponed in view of the cyclone alert.

Schools in 14 coastal and adjoining Odisha districts including Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh & Cuttack to remained closed from 23rd to 25th October in view of the impending cyclone.

Even though IMD is yet to forecast the exact location where the cyclone will make landfall, multiple models suggest it could be in northern Odisha.

The storm is expected to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal and northern parts of the state. Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm), with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm), is also likely in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur, IMD sources said, warning that this could cause flash floods.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday chaired a review meeting to take stock of the preparedness by the state administration and by coastal districts.

“The government is fully prepared to face the situation. I appeal to the people not to panic. Our aim is to ensure zero casualties… All vulnerable areas will be identified and we will ensure 100 per cent evacuation from there,” Majhi said after the review meeting.

Union Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review preparedness for the impending cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, which was attended by chief secretaries of Odisha and West Bengal.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has kept 14 teams in West Bengal and 11 teams in Odisha on standby for deployment. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, along with ships and aircraft, have been kept in readiness. Regular alerts and advisories are being sent to the ports of Paradip and Haldia, an official statement said.

As part of preparedness, the Odisha state government has also directed district administrations to keep over 800 multipurpose cyclone shelters ready with basic facilities like electricity, food, and water supply.

The CM has directed for early restoration of essential services, like electricity, water supply, and telecommunication, that could be affected by the cyclone. Emergency teams have been deployed by the ministries of power and telecommunication for immediate restoration.