Odisha, Bengal evacuate people as Cyclone Dana approaches

As Odisha and West Bengal are bracing for a severe cyclonic storm, governments of both states started evacuating people and while deciding to close educational institutions in vulnerable areas.

With half of Odisha's population likely to be affected by the impending cyclone that could cross the east coast, the state government has planned to shift over 10 lakh people from 3,000 villages in 14 districts to relief camps, according to an official statement.

The Indian Coast Guard said it was on high alert and had mobilised its vessels and aircraft to respond swiftly to any contingency owing to the cyclone that will bring torrential rain in the two neighbouring states.

A depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression on Tuesday evening and is likely to become a severe cyclonic storm and cross the Odisha-West Bengal coasts in the early hours of October 25 with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

IMD DG Mrutunjay Mohapatra said that the entire eastern coast from Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island West Bengal coast is likely to be impacted by the impending Cyclone Dana.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged all the MLAs to coordinate with the administration in rescue and relief operations in Odisha, which is likely to bear the brunt of the cyclone.

Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters, Flood Shelters and other buildings have been identified to shelter the vulnerable population.

Arrangements have been made for the provision of food, drinking water, lighting, sanitation and health facilities to the people to be evacuated to such shelters, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

Based on the IMD forecast, the Odisha government has put 14 districts such as Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj on alert.

In order to ensure the chief minister's 'zero casualty' goal, the state government has prepared an action plan for deployment of NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Services.

"Fifth-one ODRAF Teams and 178 fire service teams have so far been deployed in the vulnerable districts while 20 NDRF Teams have been mobilized (19 deployed, 1 reserve)," an official said.

Keeping in view the IMD's forecast of high-velocity wind and extremely heavy rainfall, the state has hoisted Distance Cautionary (DC-I) signals in three major ports -- Gopalpur, Paradip and Dhamara.

All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities will remain closed in 14 districts of Odisha from October 23 to 25 in view of the impending cyclone.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government is ready to face the cyclone.

"Schools will remain closed in seven districts from October 23 to 26 as a precautionary measure. We do not want to take any risk. Schools and colleges are sometimes used as shelters for people," Banerjee said in Kolkata.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have already been deployed across vulnerable areas. Integrated control rooms have also been established at both state and district levels, functioning 24/7 to monitor the situation, she said.

Banerjee said that the administration of coastal districts have been asked to shift all those residing in low-lying areas of these districts.

The districts likely to experience the most significant effects of the storm include South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur, along with coastal areas and neighbouring districts like Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly.

The Indian Coast Guard said in a statement that it is on high alert, with its dedicated personnel and assets ready to provide assistance, rescue and relief.

The ICG deployed helicopters and remote operating stations at Haldia in West Bengal and Paradip in Odisha to broadcast regular weather warnings and safety advisories to fishermen and mariners.

Advising fishermen not to venture into the sea from October 23 to 25, the IMD warned that wind speed is likely to reach 60 kilometres per hour (kmph) along and off Odisha-West Bengal coasts and gradually increase after that.

Pujari said the government has also prepared a list of pregnant women who are expected to deliver in a fortnight. All those women are being shifted to the nearby hospital in order to avoid any difficulty during the calamity.

"As of now, more than 5,000 relief centres have been set up with modern facilities to provide water, food and milk to children and medicines for injured people. We are expecting around 10 lakh evacuations," he said.

Authorities of the Kolkata airport have started preparations to tackle any situation arising out of a possible cyclonic storm that could hit coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha on October 25, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The standard operating procedures such as inspection of the airport infrastructure and the drainage system, checking and servicing of all installations are being carried out, he said.

More than 150 express and passenger trains running through South Eastern Railway jurisdiction have been cancelled in view of the storm.

The trains cancelled include Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express.

The East Coast Railways has also cancelled as many as 198 trains passing through and originating from Odisha.