Synopsis
Cyclone Dana struck Odisha, leading to coordinated efforts for relief by leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Despite the severe weather, no casualties were reported due to prompt actions. The cyclone is now weakening, and relief operations are underway. Flight operations in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar have resumed.
PTIAs cyclone Dana made landfall in Odisha in the wee hours of Friday, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that every possible effort should be made to protect lives and property in the affected areas.
In a Facebook post, Rahul Gandhi stated, “Every possible effort should be made to protect lives and property,” calling for Congress members to assist in relief efforts.
Rahul Gandhi urged residents in affected areas to stay safe and follow government guidelines, emphasising the need for the Central government to provide full support to those in crisis.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also appealed to the central government to extend all ‘comprehensive support’ to affected states and urged Congress workers to provide assistance to those in need.
Cyclone Dana’s landfall process has been completed and the cyclone is further weakening into a deep depression after being landed on the Odisha coast.
In a post on X Kharge wrote, “Cyclone Dana’s landfall in Odisha and its impact on West Bengal and other eastern coastal regions necessitates utmost preparedness and swift action.”
“The Union Government must extend comprehensive support to affected states, deploying all necessary preventive and emergency measures to ensure public safety. I appeal to all Congress workers to provide assistance to those in need,” he added in the same post.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday asserted that no casualties have been reported during Cyclone Dana.
Odisha CM Majhi, while briefing media on Friday, said, “Cyclone Dana made landfall on the intervening nights of October 24 and 25 between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra coasts. This process continues till 7:00 am today… Due to vigilant administration and preparedness, there has been no causality. The government’s target of ‘zero causality’ is achieved. Almost 6 lakh people have been shifted to safer places. 6,000 pregnant women are shifted to health centres.”
The weather department on Wednesday, in its latest update, informed that the landfall process has been completed and the cyclone will weaken gradually into a deep depression in the next six hours.
“The severe cyclonic storm Dana moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph and weakened into a cyclonic storm over north coastal Odisha and lay centred near latitude 21.20° N and longitude 86.70° E at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 25 October, about 30 km northeast of Bhadrak and 50 km north northwest of Dhamara,” IMD said in a post on X.
“The maximum sustained wind speed around the centre of the cyclone is about 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph. The landfall process has been completed. It is likely to move northwards across north Odisha and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next 6 hours. The system is under continuous surveillance of the Doppler weather radar at Paradip,” the post added.
The relief and restoration work has started in the affected areas of Odisha.
Odisha Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, “Wind speed has slowed down. Rain is continuing and we will restore the electricity once the rain stops… We have adequate poles and all the necessary arrangements for that. We thought that we would have to evacuate around 40,000 people in Bhadrak but last night it crossed the 1 lakh mark as more people moved to shelters. Food arrangements have been made, and communication lines and roadways are fine…The situation is under control now. The CM and central minister Dharmendra Pradhan are taking stock of the situation.”
Meanwhile, flight operations resumed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and Biju Patnaik International Airport today. The services were suspended since yesterday due to Cyclone Dana.
Several parts of West Bengal are witnessing rains due to the cyclone.
