Odisha, 25 October 2024 : Coastal Odisha was hit by the powerful cyclonic storm Dana on Thursday (24 October 2024), accompanied with heavy rainfall. The speed of the windstorm exceeding 110 km/h, caused fierce gusts across the region and destruction in several areas, including parts of West Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that Cyclone Dana made landfall after midnight around 12:10 am between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district and Dhamra in Bhadrak District, which continued till Friday morning. The gusty wind and heavy rainfall uprooted multiple trees and damaged several roads and other modes of transport were also hit.
Flight operations at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata were suspended from 6 pm on Thursday (October 24, 2024) until 9 am on Friday (October 25, 2024). Flight operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar Airport were also shut from 5 pm on Thursday (October 24, 2024) till 9 am on Friday (October 25, 2024). Over 400 trains passing through the two neighbouring states have also been cancelled in response to the cyclone. Kolkata Port authorities also halted ship movements until Friday evening as a precautionary measure.
Schools and other educational institutions will remain shut till Saturday (October 26, 2024) in the affected areas of both the states.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has been monitoring the situation from the State Emergency Control Room in Bhubaneswar before Cyclone Dana made landfall along the state coast in the Bay of Bengal. He stated that state ministers and officials are assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring all arrangements are in place. He also added that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inquired about the state’s preparedness to handle the cyclone’s impact on Thursday night and assured full support and assistance from the Centre. Majhi added that approximately 5.84 lakh people had been evacuated from high-risk, low-lying zones in coastal areas.
In preparation for the cyclone, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also continued to monitor the situation from the State Government Control Room in Howrah. More than 3.5 lakh people were identified for evacuation from low-lying areas, and by Thursday 243,374 people had taken shelter in relief camps, according to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “ Will our homes be still standing when we return?”, have been the only question on the minds and lips of the people at the shelter camp at Ramnagar Block of Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal, amid the relentless roar of the sea and crashing waves.
As per the weather department, Cyclone Dana is expected to gradually weaken on Friday as it moves further into Odisha, bringing heavy rains to most areas of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Dhenkanal, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, and Angul in Odisha.
The districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly in West Bengal are expected to receive extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall on Friday. Fishermen have been advised to avoid the Bay of Bengal and the coastal areas of Odisha, West Bengal, and Bangladesh until the storm subsides.
Parts of Jharkhand are also likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall due to Cyclonic Storm Dana. An ‘orange’ alert has been issued for the Kolhan region, including West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharswan, and East Singhbhum districts, for Friday. All schools from kindergarten to class 12 in these districts are closed on October 25, officials said.
