Cyclone Dana: All schools in 14 Odisha districts to be shut for 3 days, President Murmu's visit postponed

The scheduled visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Odisha from Wednesday has also been postponed due to the impending cyclone.

Published on: Oct 22, 2024, 08:09:23 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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With the impending cyclonic storm Dana likely to hit the Odisha coast between October 24 and 25, the Mohan Majhi government has ordered closure of all schools in 14 of the 30 districts that are likely to be affected by heavy rains and high winds.

All schools in 14 Odisha districts to be shut for 3 days due to cyclone Dana (PTI file/For representation)

Issuing a letter to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Govt. School & Mass Education Department, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner informed about the government’s decision to close the schools in the affected districts from October 23 to October 25. Schools in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts will remain closed for three days starting October 23.

Also read: Cyclone Dana to make landfall by Oct 24, Odisha CM reviews preparedness | 10 points

The scheduled visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Odisha from Wednesday has also been postponed due to the impending cyclone. President Murmu was scheduled to visit Bangriposi, Uparbeda, Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district as well as Puri and Bhubaneswar October 23 to October 25. The President was scheduled to reach Bangriposi in Mayurbhanj district on October 23and then lay foundation stones for three railway lines -- Bangiriposi-Gorumahisani, Buramara-Chakulia, and Badampahar-Kendujhargarh.

The low-pressure area over east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression on Tuesday morning and turn into a cyclonic storm by Wednesday over east-central Bay of Bengal, IMD officials said. The storm is likely to cross the coast between north Odisha and Bengal coasts between Oct 24 night and October 25 morning.

Also read: Odisha CM directs officials to ensure zero casualty due to Cyclone Dana

Meanwhile, the pilgrims and tourists of other states have been asked to leave the temple town of Puri by Wednesday. “As there is enough probability that Puri may be affected by the cyclone, the district administration has been asked to make it sure that the devotees from different parts of Odisha and outside the state leave the city from tomorrow. We will try they should reach safer places before the arrival of cyclone Dana,” said Odisha revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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