Odisha, Bengal brace for cyclone Dana, evacuate 500,000 people, stop flights, trains

The Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airport authorities decided to suspend flight operations from Thursday evening

BHUBANESWAR/KOLKATA: Nearly half a million people have been evacuated from the low-lying areas in Odisha and West Bengal before cyclone Dana barrels into the country’s eastern coast early Friday, packing winds gusting to a speed of 120 kmph and bringing with it torrential rainfall.

IMD has forecast that the cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra in Odisha (Agencies)

According to an India Meteorological Department bulletin, the cyclone was very likely to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) from Thursday midnight to the morning of October 25, 2024.

“Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore in Odisha are likely to experience the maximum wind speed,” he said, adding it will bring up to 300 mm of rain in the coastal regions of the two states.

Heavy rains have started in most parts of Odisha and West Bengal due to cyclone and it is expected to continue till Friday evening in most parts of the two states, IMD said.

Both states have closed all educational institutions and offices in 23 districts and made arrangements to house close to three million people, who are likely to be impacted due to heavy rains because of the cyclonic storm.

In a statement, the Odisha government said a little more than 300,000 people have been shifted to over 7000 cyclone shelters and more than 2,300 pregnant women to hospitals. “The state government is fully prepared to handle the impact of the cyclone. Our target is zero casualty. Work is underway to ensure hundred percent evacuation from all the low lying and vulnerable areas,” said chief minister Mohan Majhi.

West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee announced that she would stay at the state secretariat through Thursday night to monitor the situation. “We have identified 3,56,941 people, who need to be evacuated from low-lying areas in the coastal districts. Till Thursday afternoon, 1,59,837 were evacuated. Around 83,537 people have already been brought to 851 cyclone shelters and flood relief camps,” Banerjee told reporters on Thursday afternoon.

“The NSCBI airport in Kolkata will remain shut from 6 pm on Thursday to 9 am on Friday. In all 309 flights have been cancelled including 28 international and 281 domestic flights,” said an airport official. The South Eastern Railway and Eastern Railway have cancelled close to 200 trains because of the cyclone. Ferry services between Howrah and Kolkata across the River Hooghly have been suspended.

Authorities issued a red alert for East Midnapore, West Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas and an orange alert for Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, and North 24 Parganas. IMD has said these districts may receive up to over 200mm of rain. Heavy to very heavy rain was expected in places such as Kolkata.