Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Dana made landfall late Thursday night, striking between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra with winds reaching 110 km/h. The storm, which began its landfall process at approximately 12:10 AM, has since begun to weaken, according to the Meteorological Department.
Despite the severe weather conditions, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi announced that there have been no reported casualties in the state. In a statement on social media platform X, he noted, “I reviewed the post-storm situation at the Special Relief Commissioner’s office. The impact of the storm is gradually diminishing, and we are actively assessing and normalizing the situation.”
Majhi emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring safety, declaring a focus on “Zero Casualty.” He also instructed officials to expedite relief efforts and assistance to affected areas, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams deployed to clear uprooted trees in Dhamra.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in several districts, including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj, over the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, flight operations at both Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar have resumed following temporary closures due to the cyclone. Operations at Kolkata airport restarted at 8:00 AM after the storm caused significant disruptions.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remained vigilant throughout the night at her office in Nabanna, closely monitoring the situation. Reports indicate that heavy rainfall has led to waterlogging in parts of South 24 Parganas, complicating local conditions.
Authorities continue to work on restoration and relief efforts as communities begin to recover from Cyclone Dana’s impact.
