Cyclone Dana: 3 lakh evacuated in Odisha; Kolkata, Bhubaneswar airports shut

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that over 30 per cent of the targeted 10 lakh people have been evacuated by Wednesday evening as Cyclone Dana moves toward the state's coastal areas. The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Bhitarkanika and Dhamra early on Friday, threatening to impact nearly half of the state's population.

The state government set a target to evacuate over 10 lakh people from 14 districts, but is now focusing primarily on the coastal belt, which is expected to bear the brunt of the storm. So far, approximately 3 lakh people have been moved to safety, with the remainder expected to be evacuated by Thursday morning. The evacuees are being provided with food and shelter in cyclone shelters, according to officials.

Majhi reassured the public that the state is fully prepared to handle the situation and urged residents not to panic. He emphasised that experienced officers and ministers have been deployed to manage the cyclone response in affected districts, which include Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, and Puri. While these districts are expected to be hit the hardest, Majhi noted that other areas could also be affected if the cyclone's path changes. The chief minister also visited the emergency control room of the Special Relief Commissioner to review satellite data and emergency communication systems.

With the severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' expected to make landfall by early Friday, three ports in Odisha have issued great danger signal number 10. According to Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty, great danger signal number 10 has been issued at Dhamra, Paradip and Puri ports, and great danger signal number 8 at Gopalpur port. The great danger signal number 10 is issued at ports that are expected to experience severe weather due to a storm of great intensity, with wind speeds of 89 kmph or more. It also indicated that the cyclonic storm is expected to cross over or near the ports.

Train and Flight cancellations, Airport closures

Cyclone Dana has also led to significant disruptions in transportation across Odisha and West Bengal. More than 170 express and passenger trains in the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone have been cancelled from October 23 to October 27 due to the impending storm. The Eastern Railway (ER) has also suspended numerous local and suburban train services. Ferry services in the Sunderbans and along the Hooghly River have been halted, while Kolkata's suburbs are expected to experience disruptions in public transportation starting Thursday evening.

Airports in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar are set to suspend operations due to safety concerns. Flight operations at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport will be halted from 6 pm. on Thursday to 9 am on Friday. Similarly, Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport will suspend operations from 5 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday. This suspension is intended to protect passengers, airline staff, and equipment from the expected high winds and heavy rainfall accompanying the cyclone.

In addition to the flight cancellations, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has opened a control room and cancelled all leave for essential staff to ensure readiness for any emergencies caused by the cyclone.