The severe cyclonic storm Cyclone Dana is now getting very close to the Bengal-Odisha coast, bringing heavy rainfalls, gusty winds, and massive erosion. Holding true to all probabilities of the landfall between northern Odisha’s Bhitarkanika and Dhamara, governments of both states are preparing for a minimum damage. Here are the critical updates and developments on Cyclone Dana up to 24th October 2024:
1. Path and Possible Landfall for Cyclone Dana
Cyclone Dana is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in northern Odisha during the night of 24th to 25th October.
The Cyclonic storm would strike the land at a wind speed between 100-120 kmph and thus threatening coastal regions of Odisha and West Bengal.
Indian Meteorological Department confirmed Cyclone Dana is moving northwest at 12 km/h and is around 260 km southeast of Paradip, Odisha, and 350 km south of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
2. Large-Scale Evacuation and Government Prepare
The Odisha government evacuated more than 3-4 lakh people from prone areas in coastal districts. The officials sources said that on Thursday morning, 90% relocation work would be done.
Bhadrak district, one of the worst affected areas, has already relocated thousands of its residents to the cyclone shelters. Bhadrak Collector Dilip Routrai said both voluntary evacuations and evacuations by the police are on.
Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said that the state government was geared up for Cyclone Fani’s after effects with all departments in action right from grassroot level.
3. Bhubaneswar and Kolkata Airports Stop Operations
Flights will be suspended from Thursday, 5 pm, till Friday, 9 am, at Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, due to Cyclone Dana.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata stopped accepting flight movements for 15 hours beginning from Thursday at 6 pm. The cancellation of 208 flights has a direct impact on nearly 30,000 passengers.
4. Excessive Rainfall and Flooding Potential
Cyclone Dana would BREAK ALONG THE COASTAL DISTRICTS OF Odisha, West Bengal, and Parts of Jharkhand. All these areas would see the possibility of encountering excessive to very heavy rainfall.
IMD has put out a Red Alert in several districts in Odisha, including Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, and Jajpur.
Orange Alert for Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, and Keonjhar is there, whereas in other districts like Sundargarh, Deogarh, Angul, and Sambalpur, yellow warning is given.
Major towns like Bhubaneswar and Kolkata along with other areas of coastline, like Bhitarkanika and Dhamara, are all geared up with apprehensions for flash floods and storm surges. Bhitarkanika National Park has rich biodiversity and is most vulnerable to surging tidal waves.
5. Effect on Public Transport and Infrastructure
Eastern Railway has issued a notification suspending all train services in the Sealdah division of Kolkata between Thursday night to Friday morning. Six districts have been impacted – Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia and Murshidabad.
Flooding and strong winds could also disrupt the roadways of Odisha and West Bengal as trees and power lines are likely to fall.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has asked the rowing clubs operating in Rabindra Sarobar to call off all operations in the cyclone, as the silting of lakes and subsequent stromwater flow into lakes might cause accidents.
6. Cyclone preparedness in Odisha and West Bengal
Odisha Fire Services has dispatched 182 teams, comprising nearly 2,000 personnel, for rescue and recovery operation after landfall.
BMC has activated control rooms equipped with multi-line numbers, and high-mast lights and cranes had been taken down in an effort to prevent damage.
In Bhadrak, Balasore, and other coastal districts, mangrove forests along the coastline were expected to be the natural barriers that would reduce the impact of the cyclone.
7. Railway Minister Reviews Preparedness
The Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed preparedness at the high level with the East Coast Railway and South Eastern Railway with respect to Cyclone Dana. He strictly told the officials to avoid disruption while minimizing the risk of safety for passengers.
8. NDRF Teams and Disaster Management
The NDRF teams have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal, mainly in red and orange alert areas. The teams are placed on standby for rescue operations and will be working with local authorities once restoration becomes necessary .
9. School and University Closures
Schools and colleges in Kolkata will remain closed or take classes online on Thursday and Friday. They have done this to ensure that the students and teachers are saved from the rage that the cyclonic winds and heavy rain might unleash.
10. Power Cuts and Restoration Arrangements
State-owned electricity distributor CESC has deployed 200 patrol vans and a workforce of 6,000 to tackle power-cut situations arising in Kolkata due to Cyclone Dana.
The West Bengal state government has held enough electrical equipment in the districts vulnerable to it so that repair and restoration works can be quickly carried out once it touches land.
11. Cyclone Dana: The Fifth in Four Years
Cyclone Dana is the fifth major cyclone to hit the Bengal-Odisha coast in the last four years. Storms like Super Cyclone Amphan are just some of the ones that have pulverized the coast, of which recent onslaughts were linked with the increasing sea-surface temperatures due to global warming and high-intensity low-pressure systems from above.
In Cyclone Dana, both Odisha and West Bengal are likely to face severe disruptions in their daily life, transport, and infrastructure. Heavy rain, powerful winds, and the possibility of flooding make it a treat to work hard on minimizing the impact of the storm.