Lakhs evacuated as Odisha, West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana impact

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: Authorities in Odisha and West Bengal evacuated lakhs of people, shut schools, cancelled more than 400 trains and suspended flight operations as they braced on Thursday for severe cyclonic storm Dana, which is expected to make landfall in Odisha past midnight at a speed of 120 kmph.

According to theIndian Meteorological Department's latest bulletin at 5.30 pm, 'Dana' moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred about 90 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 110 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 210 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal). Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government has deployed 385 rescue teams comprising 19 NDRF teams, ODRAF (51), Fire Service (220) and Forest staff (95). This apart, as many as 150 platoons (1 platoon comprise 30 personnel) of Odisha Police personnel have been pressed into service for rescue, road clearing and other activities at the ground level. Claiming that the state was well prepared at the ground level to face the eventuality, Pujari said as many as 3.50 lakh people have so far been evacuated to the safety and house in 4,756 relief centres where they are provided with food and other materials.

IMD DG Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the system is likely to cause extremely heavy rainfall, tidal surge up to 2 metres and some districts to experience high velocity winds of 120 kmph during landfall of the system.

Reports of heavy downpour, squally wind and uprooting of trees have been received from some areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkania and Puri, leading to blocked roads, officials said, adding that highest rainfall of 62 mm was recorded at Paradip, while Rajnagar in Kendrapara district received 24 mm over the last four hours.