Cyclone Dana
Cyclone Dana is likely to cross the coast between Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal on Thursday (October 24-25) night. Heavy rains and gusty winds are likely to occur in Odisha and Bengal till the 26th of this month due to Dana turning into a cyclonic storm on Thursday.
The Meteorological Department has warned that strong winds of 100-120 km per hour will blow during the passage of this storm between the states of Odisha and Bengal.
Governments in preparation
The states of Odisha and West Bengal are preparing to face Cyclone Dana. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness. Odisha authorities have announced closure of schools and educational institutions till October 25. The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has postponed the preliminary examination-2023-24 scheduled to be held on 27th of this month. Tourists, pilgrims are advised not to go to coastal areas, Puri and fishermen are advised not to go into the sea. The West Bengal government has announced that Cyclone Dana will cross the coast tonight and evacuation of the affected areas is underway.
Dana Storm: What is ‘Dana’?
Dana (dana meaning) is an Arabic word that means ‘generosity’. The name ‘Dana’ or ‘Danah’ has cultural significance in Arabic culture, referring to ‘a pearl of the most perfect size, precious and beautiful’. It is commonly found in the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, known for their rich history of pearl diving. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the name was suggested by the government of Qatar. The WMO said assigning names to tropical cyclones would make it easier to track specific cyclones, especially when multiple cyclones are active simultaneously, which can be confusing to manage.
Dana Cyclone Relief Operations
At least 1.1 million people will be evacuated from the cyclone-hit areas of Odisha to the hinterlands, ministers said on Thursday. Odisha government is making arrangements to move 3,000 villages in 14 districts to relief camps. On the other hand, in Bengal, 1,30,000 people have been moved to safer places by the authorities. NDRF teams are ready in the states of Odisha and West Bengal. Rescue and relief teams of Army, Navy and Coast Guard have been alerted.
Dana Tupanu: List of canceled trains
Indian Railways has canceled more than 300 trains due to Cyclone Dana. Howrah-Secunderabad Falak Numa Express, Kamakhya-Yashwantpur AP Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Yeswantpur Express have been cancelled.