Bhubaneshwar: The Odisha government along with the Central government agencies is racing against time to execute a massive evacuation plan aimed at relocating about 10 lakh people in several coastal districts to safety, as Cyclone Dana is heading toward the coast, threatening to impact nearly half of the state’s population.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Cyclone Dana is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port early Friday. The distance between Dhamara in Bhadrak district and Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district is around 70 km. It is stated that the landfall process will start from the night of October 24 and continue until the morning of October 25. “The maximum speed during the landfall process is likely to be around 120 km/h,” IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
Mohapatra further noted that landfall is mostly a slow process, which usually takes around 5-6 hours. “Therefore, heavy rainfall, wind, and storm surge will reach their peak during the landfall time, which is between October 24 night and October 25 morning,” he added.
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State chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who reviewed the state government’s preparedness, stated that only 30% of the people, or around 3-4 lakh people living in the identified ‘danger zone,’ had been evacuated by Wednesday evening. “The remaining people will be brought to safety by 11 am on Thursday,” he said. While asserting that the state is fully prepared to face the calamity, Majhi assured the people that they are in “safe hands,” said the CM.
According to the latest IMD bulletin at 9:45 pm (October 23), the cyclonic storm Dana over the Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 12 km/h during the past six hours and lay centered about 420 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 450 km south-southeast of Dhamra (Odisha), and 500 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal).
“It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over
central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal by early morning of October 24 and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during midnight of October 24 to morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 100-110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h,” the IMD said.
Odisha might have to face a multi-hazard situation when Cyclone Dana makes landfall. Apart from heavy to very heavy rainfall, and in some places, extremely heavy rainfall and high-velocity winds, the state is likely to encounter a tidal surge of up to two meters. IMD scientist Umashankar Das at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, warned that low-lying areas in Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts are likely to be inundated and recommended that the government evacuate residents from these regions.
The IMD also cautioned that Cyclone Dana would bring significant rainfall to the state, predicting light to moderate rain at most locations, with heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) in isolated areas over Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Khordha starting in the evening of October 23. On October 24 and 25, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in several places, with isolated areas receiving extremely heavy rainfall (over 21 cm) in districts including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Jajpur.
In a statement, the IMD has prohibited all marine activities, including fishing, in the Bay of Bengal until the cyclone has passed. “All fishermen returned to the coast by Tuesday evening,” said Pujari. Meanwhile, parts of Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts in Odisha experienced rain and adverse weather conditions on Wednesday afternoon, with the IMD stating that the outer bands of Cyclone Dana have begun to affect the eastern coastline.
With the cyclone approaching fast toward the state’s coast, several activities, including the functioning of the Orissa High Court, Biju Patnaik International Airport, ports at Paradip and Dhamara, and all educational institutions, remain suspended in wake of the impending calamity.
- The cyclone could impact the eastern coast, from Puri to West Bengal.
- Cyclone ‘Dana’ likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika park and Dhamra port in Odisha.
- Storm expected to make landfall in Odisha early Friday.
- Over 150 trains cancelled in Bengal and over 200 trains cancelled in Odisha.
- Kolkata airport to suspend flight ops for 15 hours from 5 pm on October 24.
- Bhubaneswar airport to suspend operations from 5 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 in view of cyclone Dana.
