Puri: Amid Odisha government’s advisory in view of impending Cyclone ‘Dana’, tourists and devotees started leaving the pilgrim town of Puri on Tuesday.
Long waiting queues were seen at the bus stand and Puri railway station even as the administration made arrangements for safe evacuation of tourists from Puri. The visitors also complained of being fleeced by travel agents as they hurriedly packed bags to leave the town. “The travel agencies are now demanding excess fare and taking advantage of the crisis situation, which is not acceptable,” a tourist said.
Another devotee of Lord Jagannath expressed disappointment over the said behaviour in a religious place.
On Monday, an advisory was issued asking tourists to vacate the pilgrim town of Puri before the landfall. “Tourists currently in Puri should leave the seaside town soon, as it is likely to be impacted by the severe cyclonic storm,” said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari after a review meeting.
He has instructed hotels and lodges in Puri not to accept any advance booking for the next four days. The Puri administration has also been directed to discourage tourists from visiting the town from Tuesday until after the cyclone has passed, to mitigate potential damage.
Additional patrolling is underway and more lifeguards have been deployed at the Puri beach, where red flags have also been put up.
Puri along with Khurda, Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj is likely to experience wind speed of 60 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph once the depression intensifies into a cyclonic storm over Northwest Bay of Bengal by October 24 and crosses north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during October 24 night and October 25 morning.
Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore and Bhadrak districts are likely to feel the maximum impact of the cyclone, which is expected to hit north coastal Odisha.
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The wind speed is likely to be 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore, which along with Mayurbhanj are also likely to experience very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 21 cm) on October 24.
Similar rainfall warning has been sounded for Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts on October 25.
Squally weather with wind speed of 50 to 60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph may also prevail at several places in Ganjam, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Sundargarh districts on October 24-25.
The IMD has issued orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) for isolated places in Puri, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal districts on October 24 and Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh and Sundargarh districts on October 25.
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Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 gusting to 60 kmph may commence along and off Odisha-West Bengal coasts from October 23 evening. It would gradually increase becoming gale wind speed reaching 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph from October 24 night till October 25 morning. “Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough from October 23 evening and would become high from October 24 evening to October 25 forenoon,” the MeT office added.
The weather agency has advised fishermen of West Bengal and Odisha to remain off the sea from October 23.
All schools will be closed for three days from October 23 in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khurda, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts.