National: As Cyclone Dana approached, evacuation of vulnerable areas in Odisha and West Bengal began, and educational institutions were closed. Odisha plans to evacuate more than one lakh people from 3,000 villages. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the cyclone will hit the Odisha-West Bengal coast with 100-120 mph winds. Ports are alert, and fishermen are warned not to go to sea.

Emergency preparedness

The NDRF, ODRAF, and fire brigade have been mobilised in Odisha for rescue operations. West Bengal is also gearing up, with schools in seven states closed. The Indian Coast Guard has deployed ships and aircraft for immediate response.

“Fifth-one ODRAF Teams and 178 fire service teams have so far been deployed in the vulnerable districts while 20 NDRF Teams have been mobilised (19 deployed, 1 reserve),” an official said.

“Schools will remain closed in seven districts from October 23 to 26 as a precautionary measure. We do not want to take any risk. Schools and colleges are sometimes used as shelters for people," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata.

Disruption of transportation

In light of Cyclone Dana, over 152 trains have been cancelled by South Eastern Railway as part of safety measures. Below is a list of key cancellations:

• Paradeep-Puri Express (18413) on October 25, 2024
• Cuttack-Paradeep Special (08407) on October 24, 2024
• Bhubaneswar-Mumbai Konark Express (11020) on October 24, 2024
• Bhubaneswar-Chennai Central Express (12830) on October 24, 2024
• Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar Nandankanan Express (12815) on October 24, 2024

Additional trains affected include Bhadrak-Kharagpur Special, Shalimar-Puri Dhauli Express, and many others scheduled between October 24-26, 2024. Travelers are advised to check the latest updates and plan accordingly.

Relief efforts in place

Relief camps have been set up with provisions, and officials are taking pregnant women to hospitals. The two states are working towards achieving Prime Minister Modi’s “zero casualty” target.