Cyclone Dana: In view of the landfall of Cyclone Dana, flight operations at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar will remain suspended for 16 hours from Thursday evening, a statement said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 120 kmph, is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha by Friday morning.
"Airport operation will be suspended from 5 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 due to cyclone Dana," the statement said. Over 100 flights operate at the Bhubaneswar airport every day, recording a footfall of nearly about 15,000 people, officials said.
Kolkata airport suspends flight operations
Earlier, the Kolkata airport authorities announced to suspend flight operations for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday. "In view of Cyclone Dana's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, it has been decided to suspend flight operations from 1800 IST on 24.10.2024 to 0900 IST on 25.10.2024 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall at Kolkata," Kolkata Airport said in a statement.
The step has been taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers, airline employees, various equipment, navigational aids and infrastructure, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said on Wednesday.
190 local trains cancelled
The Eastern Railways said it will not operate 190 local trains in its Sealdah division from 8 pm on Thursday till 10 am on Friday in view of cyclonic storm 'Dana'. The step was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of train passengers. The 190 trains that will remain cancelled are in the Sealdah South and Hasnabad sections, the ER official said.
The cancellations include 13 up and 11 down trains in Sealdah-Canning section, 15 up and 10 down trains in Sealdah-Lakshmikantapur section, 15 up and 14 down trains in Sealdah-Budge Budge section, 15 up and 15 down trains in Sealdah-Diamond Harbour section, seven up and nine locals in Sealdah-Baruipur section and 11 up and nine down locals in Sealdah-Barasat/Hasnabad section, he said.
Cyclone Dana
The storm, which is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha will bring heavy rain in several south Bengal districts on October 24 and 25, the Met office said. It said that the landfall process will start from the night of October 24 and continue till the morning of October 25. The maximum speed during the landfall process is likely to be around 120 kmph, as per the IMD.
"Landfall will begin on the night of October 24 and continue till the morning of October 25. The maximum wind speed during this time is likely to be around 120 kmph," IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
The NDRF has deployed a total of 56 teams in five states, including Odisha and West Bengal, in view of cyclone 'Dana', which is expected to make landfall along the Odisha coast between October 24 and 25.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked a total of 56 teams, out of which 45 are on active deployment right now. There are 20 teams in Odisha, out of which one is in reserve, while of the 17 in West Bengal, 13 are in reserve.
(With PTI inputs)
