Cyclone Dana: Landfall likely in Odisha tonight, Kolkata airport to suspend flights

Authorities in Odisha have already evacuated more than 3 lakh people by Wednesday evening in view of cyclone Dana that is threatening to impact nearly half of the state's population.

In Short

• Odisha targets evacuation of 10 lakh before cyclone Dana makes landfall
• Cyclone Dana to hit between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra
• Kolkata, Bhubaneswar airports to suspend operations until Friday morning

Authorities in Odisha are racing against time to evacuate about 10 lakh people from several coastal districts before cyclone Dana's expected landfall in the state tonight. According to the India Meterological Department (IMD), cyclone Dana, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds likely to reach up to 120 kmph, is threatening to impact nearly half of the state's population.

The IMD said the cyclone lay 290 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 350 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal) as of 5.30 am today. The landfall is expected to take place between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port, both in Odisha.

The Met Department has warned of extremely heavy to very heavy rain in West Bengal, especially in the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly, on Thursday and Friday.

While the Kolkata airport will suspend flight operations from 6 pm on Thursday to 9 am tomorrow, the Bhubaneswar airport will suspend its operations from 5 pm today to 9 am on Friday. Nearly 200 trains have been cancelled running through the two neighbouring states in the wake of the cyclone.

In Odisha, about 3 lakh people were evacuated by Wednesday evening, while West Bengal has shifted over 1.14 lakh people to shelters.

Here are the latest developments:

1. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said more than 30 per cent of the targeted 10 lakh people have been evacuated to safe places by Wednesday evening. “Three districts are likely to be severely affected. Steps are being taken to evacuate people from danger zones. The remaining will be taken to safety by 11 am on Thursday," he said.

2. The Odisha state government has categorised Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts as high-risk zones; Mayurbhanj under category two where wind speeds would be at 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph; Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Jajpur come under category three where wind speeds would be at 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph.

   The districts of Puri, Khurda (comprising Bhubaneswar), Dhenkanal and Keonjhar come under category four where wind speeds will be at 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph.

3. Great danger signal number 10 has been issued at Odisha's Dhamra, Paradip and Puri ports, and great danger signal number 8 at Gopalpur port. Port operations in Paradip and Dhamra remain suspended, with Dhamra likely to be worst hit by the cyclone as the eye of the storm is likely to pass through the port town.
4. From Wednesday to Friday, the East Coast Railway has cancelled 198 trains in view of the cyclone. The Eastern Railway also announced that it will not operate 190 local trains in Bengal's Sealdah division from 8 pm Thursday till 10 am Friday. The South Eastern Railway has cancelled over 150 trains passing through or originating from Odisha.
5. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force have been placed on standby in both Odisha and West Bengal. Additional rescue personnel from the Indian Coast Guard, Navy and the Army have also been deployed.
6. As of Wednesday night, authorities in Bengal have moved more than 1.14 lakh people to evacuation centres. The state government has identified 2,82,863 people from Bankura, Hooghly, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Paschim and Purba Medinipur, and Kolkata for evacuation districts.
7. Ferry services in the Sunderbans area spread over West Bengal's North and South 24 Parganas districts and also across the Hooghly river in Kolkata and adjoining areas will remain cancelled.
8. West Bengal has set up a task force and control room to assist the public in this hour of need. Governor CV Ananda Bose has advised the people not to panic, to be resilient, and to follow the protocol and instructions.
9. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until Friday, with wind speeds likely to reach 60 kmph along the Odisha-West Bengal coastline, increasing to 120 kmph during landfall.
10. The NDRF has deployed a total of 56 teams in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in view of cyclone-triggered heavy rainfall. There are 20 teams in Odisha, out of which one is in reserve, while of the 17 in West Bengal, 13 are in reserve.