Cyclone Dana: Cyclone Dana has reached close to the coast of Bengal and Odisha and is expected to make landfall at 2 am on Thursday in Bhitarkanika and Dhamra in North Odisha, 350 km from Kolkata. 

It is being told that during this time strong winds will blow at a speed of about 120 kilometers per hour. On Wednesday itself, 3-4 lakh people have been evacuated from dangerous areas in Odisha. All operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport have been stopped from 5 pm on Thursday to 9 am on Friday. All flight operations at Kolkata airports have also been stopped from 6 pm on Thursday for the next 15 hours. 

The fear of Dana was seen in the people.

Life in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar has been badly affected due to this storm. People remained confined to their homes. Very few vehicles were seen on the roads. There was less movement of people at the bus terminal, railway station,, and airport as well. Very few passengers were seen at the very busy Bhubaneswar railway station as East Coast Railway has canceled about 203 trains. Some passengers have taken shelter at the station itself.  

State Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held a review meeting and directed officials to ensure that not a single person was killed in the natural disaster. The Meteorological Department said that the cyclone is expected to reach between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday and the wind speed can be up to 120 mph. 

What update did IMD give?

In its latest bulletin, the IMD said that Cyclone Dana, formed over the Bay of Bengal, has moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 12 mph during the past six hours and is located about 210 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 240 km south-southeast of Dhamra (Odisha) and 310 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

IMD said, 'Cyclonic storm 'Dana' is expected to move northwestwards and cross the coast of North Odisha and West Bengal between Puri and Sagar Island from midnight of October 24 to the morning of October 25 and during this time the wind speed can be 100-110 kmph which can increase to 120 kmph.

Officials said that there have been reports of uprooted trees from some areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkanika, and Puri, blocking the roads. Majhi said that about three lakh people have been shifted to various cyclone shelters and the operation is ongoing. So far, a total of 7,285 cyclone shelters have been set up and 91 medical teams have been deployed.

Agencies in Action

Officials said that the authorities have also deployed 19 teams of NDRF, 51 teams of ODRAF, and fire service personnel to transfer people and clear the blocked roads. The Meteorological Department said that Paradip recorded the highest rainfall of 62 mm in the last four hours, while Rajnagar in Kendrapara district received 24 mm of rain. He said that during the day, moderate to heavy rain and thundershowers are expected in parts of Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri districts with winds blowing at a speed of 30-40 kmph.

 Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty said, 'The severe cyclonic storm is likely to turn slightly west and west-south direction later, which may cause rain in southern Odisha around October 26. However, the forecast of the arrival of the storm and wind speed remain unchanged.' 

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a 'red warning' (take action) for heavy to very heavy rains in seven districts - Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur on Thursday. An 'orange warning' (be prepared to take action) for heavy rains has been issued in five districts including Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, and Dhenkanal for this period.

The people of Bengal will be sent to a safe place.

At the same time, the Mamata government has identified 3.5 lakh people living in low-lying areas of the state given Dana who will be shifted to safer places. Urging people to take precautionary measures and cooperate with the administration police, Banerjee said that 2,43,374 people have taken shelter in camps. The Chief Minister said that she will stay in the state secretariat throughout the night on Thursday and will personally monitor the situation. She said that helplines and some related phone numbers have been started working 24 hours and 7 days a week for monitoring and sharing information. She said that educational institutions have been closed to ensure the safety of the students.