Kolkata: West Bengal is bracing for the impact of Cyclone Dana, expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika in Odisha’s Kendrapara district and the Dhamara area of Bhadrak district. As a precaution, flight services at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport have been cancelled for 15 hours starting Thursday. Train operations, including local services, will also be suspended for 14 hours across both the northern and southern sectors of Eastern Railways’ Sealdah division. Trains from coastal areas like Namkhana and Hasnabad will be unable to reach Sealdah during this period.
Authorities are taking extensive measures to ensure public safety. A senior Eastern Railways official confirmed that around 190 local trains will be affected by the suspension. Control rooms have been set up at the state secretariat in Nabanna, Howrah, and in district headquarters, with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation establishing a dedicated control room to monitor the situation.
State officials, including the Chief Secretary, are receiving hourly updates from district magistrates in nine vulnerable districts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is being regularly briefed on developments. Red alerts have been issued for the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and East Midnapore, along with parts of West Midnapore. In line with safety protocols, tourists have been evacuated from popular coastal destinations such as Digha and Mandarmani. Schools and colleges across nine districts have been closed since Wednesday and will remain shut until Friday. Residents in low-lying regions are being relocated to safer areas.
While Cyclone Dana poses a significant threat, meteorological officials have indicated that its impact on West Bengal is not expected to be as severe as that of Cyclone Amphan in 2020. As of the latest updates, Cyclone Dana was located approximately 540 kilometers from Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas and 490 kilometers from Dhamara in Odisha, where it is predicted to make landfall.
