The Odisha government has set up 5,000 relief centers and prepared evacuation plans for 10 lakh people as Cyclone Dana heads toward the eastern coast, officials said.
Cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall in the early hours of October 25. between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Bhadrak or Balasore along the Odisha coast. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds reaching up to 120 km/h.
The cyclone is forecast to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during the night of October 24. The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall across Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal from October 23 to 26.
Authorities have identified the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri as the areas most likely to be severely impacted by the storm.
In preparation, several train services have been rescheduled or canceled. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has activated a 24-hour Disaster Management Cell at its headquarters and divisional offices in Khurda Road, Visakhapatnam, and Sambalpur. Diesel locomotives are on standby to maintain rail services in case of power disruptions.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 20 teams in Odisha and 14 in West Bengal as a precautionary measure. Additionally, rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, along with ships and aircraft, are on standby for immediate deployment.
On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed two aircraft to transport 150 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel along with relief materials to Bhubaneswar.