Cyclone Dana: Bengal, Odisha Brace For Landfall Amid Heavy Rain, Flight And Train Disruptions
Heavy rain lashed parts of West Bengal on Thursday morning as severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ inched closer to the state’s coast, also touching neighbouring Odisha.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the cyclonic storm 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). With this, the cyclone is set to bring heavy rainfall in several south Bengal districts, including Kolkata.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across South Bengal to tackle emergencies. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has also opened a control room at its headquarters in the city and cancelled the leaves of all essential staff.
CYCLONE DANA: WARNINGS ISSUED
Advising fishermen not to venture into the sea, the weather department said gale wind with speeds reaching 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph is prevailing over northwest Bay of Bengal.
It warned that the wind speed over the area is likely to increase gradually to 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph until Friday morning, and decrease thereafter.
A bulletin by the weather department also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpours 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.
TRAINS, FLIGHTS, OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT AFFECTED
Flight operations at the Kolkata airport will be suspended from 6 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday, as heavy winds and very heavy rainfall were expected to lash parts of the state amid Cyclone Dana’s landfall process. Schools in the worst-affected areas of Odisha and West Bengal have also been closed.
Public transportation to and from Kolkata’s suburbs may be affected from today evening, as Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelled a large number of trains on Thursday and Friday, in view of the cyclone.
More than 170 express and passenger trains running through South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction have been cancelled, an official told news agency PTI. The trains cancelled were scheduled to depart from their originating stations between October 23 and October 27, he said.
The Kolkata-headquartered SER zone is spread across West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.
Besides, the Eastern Railway (ER) will not operate any Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) local train from Sealdah station on its south and Hasnabad sections from 8 pm on Thursday till 10 am on Friday, the official said.
The Eastern Railway also cancelled 68 suburban trains on the Howrah division on Friday morning, he said. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said it is on high alert and has mobilised vessels and aircraft to respond swiftly to any contingency over the Bay of Bengal.
Ferry services in the Sunderbans area spread over North and South 24 Parganas districts and also across river Hooghly in Kolkata and adjoining areas will remain cancelled in view of the impending inclement weather, officials said.
LAKHS OF PEOPLE EVACUATED
On Wednesday, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said more than 30 per cent of the targeted 10 lakh people had been evacuated to safe places by evening. He reviewed the government’s preparedness for the cyclone which is likely to cross the Odisha coast, close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, early on Friday.
“Three districts are likely to be severely affected. Steps are being taken to evacuate people from danger zones. So far, 30 per cent of the targeted 10 lakh people have been evacuated. The remaining will be taken to safety on Thursday,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, those who have been evacuated were being provided with dry and cooked food and all other arrangements have been made in the cyclone shelters.
The Chief Minister claimed that the state government was fully prepared to tackle the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm and urged the people to remain safe and not to panic. He also said he has deputed ministers to various districts and experienced officers to handle cyclone management.
GREAT DANGER SIGNAL ISSUED AT 3 PORTS IN ODISHA
With the severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ expected to make landfall by early Friday, three ports in Odisha have issued great danger signal number 10, a senior IMD official said Wednesday.
According to Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty, a 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.
Similarly, the port warning great danger signal number 8 indicates wind blowing at a speed of 63-87 kmph.