As cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall tonight between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, approximately 400,000 people have been evacuated to cyclone shelters. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has instructed district administrations to finalize the evacuation by 11 a.m.
“The state government is fully prepared to tackle whatever situation arises. I urge people not to panic. You are in safe hands. We have been closely monitoring the situation with the help of multiple systems,” Majhi told mediapersons after reviewing the situation.“
The state has identified over 3,000 vulnerable locations (villages) across 14 districts, primarily along the coastal belt, and started evacuation procedures. As many as 10,60,336 people are likely to be evacuated before Cyclone Dana makes landfall,” Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.
Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts are expected to experience the worst effects of the cyclone, with wind speeds anticipated to reach 100-120 km/h, accompanied by heavy to very heavy rainfall. The IMD also forecasts rainfall for several other coastal and interior districts on Thursday and Friday.To oversee relief and rescue efforts, the Odisha government has assigned nine ministers to nine districts, with senior IAS officers monitoring the overall situation.
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The Meteorological Office has warned of a storm surge of approximately 1 meter (above the astronomical tide) during landfall, which could lead to flooding in low-lying areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts.
With the landfall predicted to be near Bhitarkanika, the second-largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sundarbans, Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav, DFO, mangrove wildlife division, Rajnagar said, “If the water level increases, there are chances that the crocodiles may move to human settlements. We have formed two teams, each comprising seven persons, and provided them equipment to rescue crocodiles. Five other teams have also been formed for rescue of snakes from human habitations.”
The Orissa High Court has declared Thursday and Friday as closure days, while designating November 30 and December 7 (both Saturdays) as working days.Due to Cyclone Dana, the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has postponed the preliminary test for the Odisha civil service exam, originally set for October 27. A new date will be announced after seven days.– With PTI inputs
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