Cyclone Dana Alert: Cyclone ‘Dana’ formed in the Bay of Bengal is moving towards the coast at a very fast speed. Although this storm is expected to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha on October 25, but the tension of these two states has increased already. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) estimates that this storm may hit between Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal on the night of October 24.
According to the alert issued by IMD, this cyclone will cause stormy winds at a speed of 120 km per hour, which can cause heavy damage in coastal areas. In view of this alert issued by IMD, schools have been closed in many districts of Odisha and West Bengal. A total of 197 trains were cancelled between 23 and 26 October.
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Meanwhile, at Kolkata airport, officials have started preparations to deal with any emergency arising out of this cyclone. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has advised the tourists from her state who had gone to Puri in Odisha to return home as soon as possible.
According to the Meteorological Department, the low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal turned into a depression on Tuesday. This system is moving towards the east coast and is expected to turn into a major cyclonic storm. The IMD said that this depression may turn into a cyclonic storm by October 23 and a severe cyclonic storm by October 25.
What preparations are being made in Odisha to deal with Cyclone Dana?
Odisha, which has faced many big cyclones in its history, has started special preparations to deal with Cyclone Dana. In view of this cyclone, the fire department conducted a mock fire drill in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. 14 districts of Odisha are likely to be most affected by Cyclone Dana. Fire engines will be sent to all these districts for relief and rescue operations.
The state government has identified 250 relief centres and 500 temporary shelters. It has deployed 1,000 personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) in various districts along with 30 platoons of the state armed forces.
The state has also deployed six top officers in six districts – Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Balasore and Mayurbhanj – to monitor the cyclone situation. These officers are the collectors of these respective districts.
These trains were cancelled
In view of this storm, a total of 197 trains have been cancelled between 23 and 26 October. Out of the cancelled trains, 94 were going towards south (up line) via Odisha, while 103 were going towards east (down line) via Odisha.
- 12552 KAMAKHYA–SMVB BANGALORE EXPRESS
- 22644 Patna – Ernakulam Express
- 03101 Kolkata–Puri Express Special
- 03102 Puri–Kolkata Express Special
- 22504 Dibrugarh – Kanyakumari Express
- 22503 Kanyakumari–Dibrugarh Express
- 12509 SMVB Bengaluru–Guwahati Express
- 03429 Secunderabad–Malda Town Express Special
- 03430 Malda Town–Secunderabad Express Special
- 18419 Puri – Jaynagar Express
- 22202 Puri–Sealdah Duronto Express
- 22201 Sealdah – Puri Duronto Express
- 03230 Patna–Puri Express Special
- 12514 Silchar–Secunderabad Superfast Express
- 15227 SMVB Bengaluru–Muzaffarpur Express
- 13418 Malda Town – Digha Express
- 13417 Digha – Malda Town Express
- 22330 Asansol – Haldia Express
- 22329 Haldia–Asansol Express
Schools closed in these districts
In an official order issued by the Odisha government, it was said, ‘All schools, colleges, universities, technical/professional institutes, polytechnics and ITIs in the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Nayagarh, Cuttack and Khurda will remain closed for three days (October 23 to 25).’ Necessary instructions have been issued to the heads of various educational institutions in these 14 districts.
Kolkata Airport has also geared up
In view of Cyclone Dana, officials of Kolkata Airport have also started preparations. Dr. Pravat Ranjan Beuria, Director of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport located in Dum Dum area of Kolkata, said, ‘At present, airport officials are following standard operating procedures. Heavy rain is expected due to the storm, which may cause waterlogging in and around the airport premises. We are working closely with the state government to deal with the situation.’
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