Odisha Gears Up for Cyclone Dana's Landfall

New Delhi- In preparation for Cyclone Dana's landfall on the eastern coast, the Odisha government has established 5,000 relief centers and designed evacuation plans for 10 lakh people. The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Bhadrak or Balasore early on October 25th, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD predicts Cyclone Dana will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, bringing wind speeds of up to 120 km/h. The storm is expected to cross coastal Odisha and West Bengal between Puri and Sagar Island on the night of October 24th. Heavy rainfall is predicted across Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal from October 23rd to 26th.

Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri are likely to be severely impacted. In response, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has rescheduled and canceled train services, and activated a 24-hour Disaster Management Cell.

The NDRF deployed 20 teams to Odisha and 14 to West Bengal. Moreover, the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard have rescue and relief teams, ships, and aircraft on high alert for immediate deployment.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed two aircraft on Wednesday to transport 150 NDRF personnel and relief materials to Bhubaneswar.