Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has deputed nine ministers to nine districts, which will are likely to bear a brunt of Cyclone Dana.
Kendrapada: Deputy CM K V Singhdeo
Puri: Deputy CM Pravati Parida
Cuttack: Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan
Ganjam: Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena
Keonjhar: Food & Civil Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra
Jagatsinghapur: Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain
Balasore: PR&DW and RD Minister Rabi Nayak
Bhadrak: Sports & HE Minister Suraj Suryabanshi
Mayurbhanj: H&UD Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has also requested all MLAs to be present in their respective constituencies to coordinate rescue and relief operations. “The legislators can also assist in the rescue and relief operations to be carried out after the cyclone in their respective areas. They should engage in interaction with the people and extend necessary help to the places to be affected by the cyclone,” he posted on X.
Six senior IAS officers – K Sudarshan Chakravarthy, Trilochan Majhi, Balwant Singh, Vineet Bhardwaj, Yamini Sarangi and Samarth Verma – have been given the charge for overall supervision of rescue and relief operation in Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada districts respectively.
Also Read: Cyclone ‘Dana’ Takes Shape In Bay Of Bengal 560Km Away From Odisha’s Paradip
Ten senior officers have also been assigned 10 districts to coordinate with district-level officials, monitor preparedness, and oversee post-disaster response and assistance.
Meanwhile, the deep depression in the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm Dana at around 5.30 am on Wednesday, and is centred at around 560 km from Odisha’s Paradip and 630 km from Sagar Island, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
It is very likely intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday morning and make landfall in Odisha’s Puri and West Bengal’s Sagar Island on Thursday night and Friday morning. Rescue teams, including 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, are on standby in Odisha.
Also Read: Cyclone ‘Dana’ May Hit Odisha In 48 Hours; Check Rain, Wind Alerts
The IAF lifted NDRF team, 150 personnel and relief material to Bhubaneswar, Odisha. One IL76 and AN 32 were flown in from Bathinda, Punjab, according to sources.
Over 150 trains, including include Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express, have been cancelled in view of Cyclone Dana.
Also Read: ECoR Cancels 178 Trains Running Through Odisha For Cyclone ‘Dana’
According to IMD forecast, fourteen districts in Odisha are likely to be impacted by cyclone Dana: Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj. Schools, colleges and universities will remain shut in these districts till October 25.
All monuments and museums under Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) supervision in Odisha will remain closed for two days.
Also Read: Cyclone ‘Dana’ May Hit Kendrapada-Bhadrak Coasts In Odisha On Oct 24 Night: CEC