Cyclone Dana: Odisha, Bengal on alert, trains cancelled, relief teams on standby

Cyclone Dana Update: 20 NDRF teams in Odisha and 14 teams in West Bengal are on standby and educational institutions have been shut, as Cyclone Dana will likely make landfall in Odisha's Puri and Bengal's Sagar Island on Thursday evening.

In Short

• More than 150 trains cancelled as Odisha, Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana
• Evacuations underway in both states, schools closed in vulnerable areas
• Cyclone to make landfall in Odisha's Puri, Bengal's Sagar Island on Thursday evening

As Odisha and West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana, which will likely make landfall in Odisha's Puri and West Bengal's Sagar Island during Thursday night and Friday, both states have started evacuating people from areas likely to be affected by the cyclone.

Rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have reached both the states and educational institutions have been shut in vulnerable areas.

Over 150 trains running through South Eastern Railway jurisdiction have been cancelled in view of the storm, news agency PTI reported.

The deep depression in the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm Dana at around 5.30 am on Wednesday, and is centred at around 560 km from Odisha's Paradip and 630 km from Sagar Island, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It will very likely intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday morning and will cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during Thursday night and Friday morning, with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, the weather body said.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that Odisha is likely to be the most affected, with heavy to very heavy rainfall and high-speed winds.

Here are top developments as Odisha, Bengal prepare for Cyclone Dana

1. A total of 20 NDRF teams in Odisha and 14 teams in West Bengal are on standby ahead of the cyclone. Additional rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard along with ships and aircraft have been kept in readiness.

   Odisha government has hoisted Distance Cautionary (DC-I) signals in three major ports - Gopalpur, Paradip and Dhamara ahead of Cyclone Dana.

2. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said that it is on high alert, with its dedicated personnel and assets ready to provide assistance, rescue and relief.

   The ICG has deployed helicopters and remote operating stations at Haldia in West Bengal and Paradip in Odisha to broadcast regular weather warnings and safety advisories to fishermen and mariners.

3. An official from the Odisha government told news agency PTI that apart from 20 teams from the NDRF, 51 teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 178 fire service teams have also been deployed in vulnerable regions.

   The state government has planned to shift over 10 lakh people from 3,000 villages in 14 districts to relief camps, it said in a statement.

   Multipurpose cyclone shelters, flood shelters and other buildings have been identified to shelter the residents of the regions likely to be affected by Cyclone Dana in Odisha.

4. The West Bengal government on Tuesday issued orders putting seven districts in the state on high alert in the wake of the growing concerns around cyclone Dana.

   Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the government was ready to tackle the issue and was taking care of the situation through a 24x7 control room.

5. Schools will remain closed in seven districts in West Bengal from Wednesday till Saturday as a precautionary measure against the cyclone.

   The districts likely to be hit by Cyclone Dana in West Bengal include South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur, along with coastal areas and neighbouring districts like Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly.

6. Over 150 express/passenger trains running through South Eastern Railway jurisdiction have been cancelled in view of the severe cyclonic storm.

   The cancelled trains include premium trains: Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express.

7. Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that over 5,000 relief centres have been set up with modern facilities to provide water, food and milk to children and medicines for injured people.

   "We are expecting around 10 lakh evacuations," he was quoted by PTI as saying.

8. All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities will be closed in 14 districts in Odisha from Wednesday till Friday in view of the cyclone.

   The educational institutions will be closed in the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack.

9. The Odisha government on Tuesday announced the closure of two of its ecological hotspots - Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district and Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district. Both districts have been identified as red zones ahead of the cyclone