Lakhs of people in Odisha’s coastal districts, especially Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore, and in West Bengal are bracing for a harrowing night as the severe cyclonic storm Dana is set to make landfall shortly after midnight on Thursday (October 24, 2024). The landfall process is likely to continue till early morning on Friday.
Cyclone Dana: Follow live updates
Six hours prior to the landfall, the outer layer of cyclonic storm had surrounded Odisha’s coastal region, causing widespread rain and wind on Thursday evening. Trees were uprooted and power infrastructure was hit at isolated places in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts while disaster response forces cautiously treaded to remove obstructions along road.
As a precautionary measure, the Odisha government had evacuated 4.17 lakh people to different cyclone shelters where cooked food and other necessary facilities were made available.
Modi speaks to CM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi over telephone to receive update on the State’s preparedness for the cyclone Dana. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister expressed satisfaction with Odisha’s readiness to tackle the cyclone.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in an update at 10 p.m. IST on Thursday (October 24, 2024) said: “The severe cyclonic storm, Dana, over central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past six hours and lay centred [at 8.30 p.m. IST] at about 70 km east-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 90 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 190 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).”
“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 midnight of October 24 to morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph,” the IMD said. Storm surge between one and two metres was expected in Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts around landfall process. The cyclone is likely to recurve once it enters landmass.
The Bhitarkanika National Park, renowned for its saltwater crocodiles, is coming in the patch of cyclone Dana. Authorities in Kendrapara district are keeping their fingers crossed and hope that the dense mangrove forests along the coast would help reduce the intensity of the cyclone’s winds as they acted as bio-shields in past six cyclones that formed after 1999 Super Cyclone.
Also read | ISRO satellites tracking cyclone Dana since October 20
Mobile connectivity
To ensure stable mobile connectivity, Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) was activated in seven affected districts. According to Odisha IT Minister, Mukesh Mahaling, this will allow customers of one telecom provider to access the network of another when their own provider’s network is down.
Earlier, Mr. Majhi reviewed cyclone preparedness through video conferencing with District Collectors. As many as 2,163 villages of 64 blocks in 11 districts were likely to be impacted. District administrations admitted 3,654 pregnant women in different healthcare facilities and maternity homes.
Similarly, 385 disaster response force units, including 19 National Disaster Response Force teams, 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, 95 Odisha Forest Development Corporation teams and 220 Fire service teams have been deployed. Besides, 158 platoons of police have been deployed for crowd control and round-the-clock patrolling in villages from where people have moved to cyclone shelters.
The IMD has warned major damage to thatched houses, minor damage to power and communication lines, flooding of escape routes, uprooting of trees and damage to horticulture and standing crops in some areas due to inundation and wind in districts such as Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khorda, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Cuttack and Dhenkanal. Heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted in 11 districts of Odisha.
Also read | Schools shut, tourists asked to leave as eastern India braces for cyclone
Flights, trains cancelled in Bengal
In West Bengal, flights and trains were suspended, schools were closed, and 24×7 helplines set up.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced two helpline numbers for Nabanna and the districts — 033 2214 3526 and 1070. She along with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary would be monitoring developments through the night.
“When Dana makes landfall, it will escalate to a severe cyclonic storm and advance at a speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting at 120 kmph… Do not panic but stay alert,” the Chief Minister said, adding that although the cyclone is likely to make landfall in Odisha, it would also have an effect on West Bengal.
She requested people to cooperate with the police’s evacuation efforts and government advisories, and to not venture out on beaches and open waters till the weather improved. “Over 1,59,000 people have been evacuated so far,” Ms. Banerjee said.
Control rooms have also been set up by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for real-time monitoring.
Somenath Dutta, who heads the Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore in Kolkata, said districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura and Kolkata could expect heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) in spurts between October 24 and 25.
Flight operations at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport have been suspended between 6 p.m. Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday. Consequently, hundreds of incoming and outgoing flights between October 24 and October 25 have been cancelled for take-off and landing ahead of the landfall of cyclone Dana.
The Eastern Railway cancelled 190 suburban local trains in its Sealdah division from 8 p.m. Thursday till 10 a.m. Friday.
The South Eastern Railway and the East Coast Railway also suspended over a hundred express and passenger trains, many of which were to originate from or cross stations in West Bengal.
Ferry services on various routes in West Bengal have also been suspended.
Colleges, universities and State-run schools across nine districts, including Kolkata, have been shut between October 23 and 26.
Published – October 24, 2024 10:40 pm IST