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Cyclone Dana, a deep depression that intensified into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, is poised to make landfall on the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings, forecasting that the cyclone will hit Odisha's coastline between Bhitarkanika Park and Dhamra Port from the night of October 24 to the morning of October 25, with wind speeds potentially reaching 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.
In anticipation of the cyclone's impact, both Odisha and West Bengal governments have initiated swift and comprehensive evacuation measures. Odisha, projected to be the most affected state, has deployed 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, along with 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and 178 fire service teams, to vulnerable regions. The state government has also planned to relocate over 10 lakh people from 3,000 villages in 14 districts to designated relief camps, utilizing multipurpose cyclone shelters, flood shelters, and other secured buildings.
West Bengal, while expecting less severe impact than Odisha, has placed seven districts on high alert and activated a 24x7 control room to manage the situation. As a precautionary measure, schools in these seven districts will remain closed from Wednesday to Saturday. The districts on alert in West Bengal include South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, along with coastal areas and neighboring districts like Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly.
The transportation system has been significantly impacted by Cyclone Dana. Over 150 express and passenger trains running through the South Eastern Railway jurisdiction have been canceled, including prominent routes like the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, and Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express. In Odisha, educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, in 14 districts will remain closed from Wednesday to Friday. Moreover, the Odisha government has announced the closure of two ecological hotspots, Similipal Tiger Reserve and Bhitarkanika National Park, in anticipation of potential environmental damage.
Source: Cyclone Dana: Odisha, Bengal on alert, trains cancelled, relief teams on standby