Kolkata: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has suspended fight operation at Kolkata airport for 15-hour, starting 6pm on Thursday, in view of cyclone Dana, which is all set to make landfall tonight.
Preparations are in full swing at the airport to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft and infrastructure. The suspension of flights has been announced as part of precautionary measures against the anticipated storm.
The Odisha government has already taken steps to relocate around 10 lakh people residing in the coastal areas, as Cyclone Dana approaches the seacoast. The cyclone is likely to affect nearly half of the state’s population. So far, 3 lakh people have been moved to a safe place.
Also Read: Cyclone Dana: Odisha govt gears up for landfall on Friday morning
West Bengal CM to stay in Nabanna
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is staying overnight in Nabanna, even as the Kolkata airport has suspended all flight operations from 6:00 pm onwards. A control room has been set up in Howrah to monitor the situation ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone ‘Dana’ later tonight.
West Bengal disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan said, “The CM herself is monitoring it, she will be present at night here. The control room is open 24×7. All the agencies have been alerted. Evacuation has also been done…”
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1.59 lakh people evacuated in West Bengal
The West Bengal government has evacuated 1,59,837 people and shifted 83,537 people to relief camps till now. As severe cyclonic storm Dana approaches the Odisha coast, anxious residents in Kendrapara district are desperately rushing to relief camps, finally heeding the urgent calls of authorities, an official said.
Intermittent rain and gusty winds have taken control of seaside villages since Thursday morning as the storm threatens the coastal areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts.
Also Read: Biparjoy turns into extremely severe storm, to hit Gujarat coastline
Dana to make landfall between Puri and Sagar Island
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during mid-night of 24th to morning of 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.
According to the Indian Meteological Department (IMD), the cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (kmph).
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NDRF, SDRF teams deployed
As part of the preparedness, several teams of NDRF and SDRF have been deployed in both Odisha and West Bengal. While 20 NDRF teams are stationed in Odisha, 17 teams have been deployed in West Bengal. Apart from this, Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Coast Guard are on high alert as well.
Kolkata airport terminals sealed
Kolkata airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria confirmed that all entry and exit points of the terminal would be sealed once the last flight departs, ensuring no access during the storm.
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Additionally, all parked aircraft have been securely tied to prevent movement from the gusty winds. “All aerobridges will be retracted, and ladders tied together to prevent any damage to the planes,” Beuria said.
In accordance with standard operating procedures, all ground handling equipment, vehicles, and tools has been removed or chained together to minimise the risk of these items becoming hazardous in high winds.
“Nothing related to ground operations will be left in the open,” Beuria said, explaining that it is done to ensure that there is no flying debris during the storm.
Rain lashes parts of West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand
Several districts of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand received moderate to heavy rain on Thursday as cyclone Dana inched closer to the state’s coast and that of neighbouring Odisha.
The weather department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpour in isolated places in the south Bengal districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts on Thursday and Friday.
