Cyclone Dana: Landfall in Odisha past midnight, PM monitoring situation

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts:

Cyclone Dana threatens Odisha and West Bengal with heavy destruction, over 6 lakh evacuated to safer locations.
PM Modi reviewed preparations with the Odisha CM ahead of landfall.
Multiple flights and trains were canceled, while the Navy and rescue teams were deployed.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth:

Cyclone Dana, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, poses a significant threat to both Odisha and West Bengal. Over 3.5 lakh people in Odisha and 2.4 lakh in West Bengal have been moved to safety. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi stated that most coastal areas expect winds reaching up to 120 km/h. The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke twice with Odisha’s CM to review preparations and evacuation efforts, which include the deployment of NDRF and ODRAF teams for public safety. Rescue and relief operations are underway in both states. Airports in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata were shut down, while over 400 trains were canceled as a precaution.

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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced that several districts would face extreme rainfall and potential flooding, with relief camps already sheltering over 2.43 lakh people. Odisha’s Revenue Minister, Suresh Pujari, detailed that 2,131 villages in the state would be affected, with Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore being the high-risk districts. The Indian Navy is on standby for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, while 4,756 relief centers have been set up across the region.