Cyclone Dana: Odisha, Bengal on alert; over 200 trains cancelled, flights suspended
PTC News Desk: Cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall tonight in Odisha's Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, with winds gusting between 100 and 120 km/h. Both Odisha and West Bengal are on high alert, with the vulnerable population evacuated and flight and train services suspended.
Meanwhile, over 1.14 lakh people in West Bengal have already been relocated to shelters as a precaution.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who assessed the state government's readiness, stated that just 30% of the people, or around 3-4 lakh people residing in the specified 'danger zone', had been evacuated by Wednesday evening.
Cyclone Dana, with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph (75 mph), is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha on Friday morning, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The cyclone is expected to move across the north Odisha and West Bengal coast between Puri and Sagar Island, near Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, beginning Thursday night.
"Landfall will begin on the night of October 24 and continue till the morning of October 25. The maximum wind speed during this time is likely to be around 120 kmph," IMD predicted.
Flight operations at Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport will be suspended for 16 hours beginning Thursday evening. Train service has also been interrupted in the state. Flight operations at Kolkata Airport will be suspended for 15 hours, beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The Eastern Railway has cancelled 190 local trains.
Tourists in coastal locations such as Digha, Shankarpur, and Tajpur in Bengal have been urged to stay indoors and avoid entering the sea for safety reasons.
Multiple battalions of disaster relief workers have been stationed in both states. The Coast Guard is on alert, and fishermen have been instructed not to sail on either day.
- PTC NEWS
