Flight operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar resumed at 8 AM on Friday after a temporary shutdown due to the precautionary measures taken ahead of Cyclone Dana’s landfall. The cyclone made its landfall on Odisha’s coast earlier in the day, bringing with it gusty winds and heavy rainfall.
The airport had suspended operations from 5 PM on October 24 until 9 AM Friday, but services were resumed an hour earlier than planned, according to Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan. Similarly, Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport also restarted its operations at 8 AM after halting flights the previous day.
Cyclone Dana’s Impact
The landfall process for Cyclone Dana began in the early hours, specifically between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district and Dhamra in Bhadrak, with wind speeds recorded at approximately 110 km/h. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that districts including Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and Jagatsinghpur were experiencing these high winds along with extremely heavy rain.
“The landfall process would continue for the next one to two hours,” stated the IMD in an update at 8:30 AM. The department anticipates that the cyclone will gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm later today.
Evacuations and Preparations
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is actively monitoring the situation alongside Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management Suresh Pujari and Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at Rajiv Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. The Chief Minister confirmed that around 5.84 lakh individuals have been evacuated to designated shelters in anticipation of the storm.
Meanwhile, bus services at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT) in Bhubaneswar were disrupted, leaving many passengers stranded and waiting for transport services to resume.
The storm has already caused significant disruption, with several roads in coastal Odisha blocked due to uprooted trees resulting from strong winds and heavy downpours.