Control rooms, evacuations, and school closures: West Bengal braces for Cyclone Dana

West Bengal prepares for Cyclone Dana landfall, with precautions in place and districts on alert, schools closed, and farmers advised.

The West Bengal government has ramped up precautions ahead of Cyclone Dana, which is expected to make landfall on Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island on Thursday (October 24, 2024) night.

“As per India Meteorological Department reports, the depression over the Bay of Bengal might escalate to a cyclonic storm… between October 24 night and October 25 morning it is expected to make landfall somewhere between Puri and Sagar Island,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday (October 22, 2024).

According to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday, the depression is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by Thursday morning and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph and gusting at 120 kmph.

The Chief Minister highlighted that South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur districts are most vulnerable to the effects of Cyclone Dana, adding that adjoining districts Paschim Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, and Jhargram are also on alert. 

“The Chief Secretary has conducted meetings with disaster management authorities, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force, and State Disaster Response Force on Monday. Our government is fully prepared to handle the effects of the cyclone,” Ms Banerjee said.

According to the Chief Minister, 24x7 control rooms have also been set up at both the district and State levels, and Principal Secretaries of various government departments have been posted across districts to monitor the situation.

The Chief Minister in her public address also advised fisherfolk not to venture out on open waters until the weather condition improves. “People residing in low-lying areas are also being evacuated to safer locations… ferry services will remain non-operational in coastal areas and adjoining areas until the situation returns to normal,” she said.