Heavy rains and gusty winds battered southern West Bengal as the severe cyclonic storm “Dana” made landfall along the Odisha coast, leading to significant disruption in the region. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm was centered over north coastal Odisha and was moving west-northwestward. The IMD reported that the landfall process would continue for the next 1-2 hours, with expectations of gradual weakening into a cyclonic storm by this afternoon.
Waterlogging and Evacuations in Affected Areas
In Mandarmani, Purba Medinipur, and Gosaba, South 24 Parganas, residents faced severe waterlogging, worsening their plight as heavy rains persisted into Friday morning. While the full extent of the damage remains to be assessed, initial reports indicated substantial inundation in low-lying areas. In anticipation of the storm, the state administration evacuated over 250,000 people by Thursday evening, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announcing plans to evacuate an additional 350,000 residents from vulnerable areas.
Disaster Response and Train Cancellations
Thirteen battalions from the state’s disaster management force and 14 battalions from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in coastal areas to assist in emergency operations. In response to the weather conditions, Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport suspended operations from 6 PM Thursday until 9 AM Friday.
South Eastern Railway has cancelled over 170 express and passenger trains scheduled between October 23 and 27, while Eastern Railway cancelled 68 suburban trains in the Howrah division for Friday morning. All EMU local trains from Sealdah station were also suspended from Thursday evening until Friday morning. The Kolkata Port authorities have halted ship movements until Friday evening as a precaution.