India is in the process of evacuating nearly 1.5 million residents from the eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal as Cyclone Dana approaches, with landfall anticipated within the next 24 hours.
Authorities have mobilized thousands of relief workers and established temporary camps to protect those in the cyclone’s path.
The Indian Meteorological Department forecasts that the cyclone will impact coastal areas with wind speeds ranging from 100-120 km/h (62-74 mph), along with expected heavy rainfall.
Transportation services are already facing significant disruptions, with over 200 train services and numerous flights canceled, especially at the airports in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured residents that the state is well-prepared for the storm. “We are fully prepared to deal with the storm. Don’t panic, be safe and be careful,” Majhi stated to the media.
In Odisha alone, more than a million people are being evacuated, while West Bengal is moving over 300,000 individuals from at-risk coastal areas.
Fishermen have been cautioned against going to sea, and Paradip Port in Odisha is enacting contingency plans to safeguard staff and local communities.
The region has experienced severe storms in the past, including the devastating cyclone in 1999 that resulted in over 10,000 fatalities in Odisha. Last year, another cyclone led to at least 16 deaths in India and Bangladesh.