As Cyclone Dana Nears Odisha, CM Majhi Brings Back 6 Seasoned IAS Officers To Manage Situation

Odisha Gears Up for Cyclone Dana as CM Mohan Majhi Puts Relief Efforts in Full Swing

Odisha's Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, is leading a comprehensive effort to tackle Cyclone Dana, setting aside political differences to focus on disaster relief. The state government has recalled six experienced IAS officers to the frontlines to manage operations in six potentially impacted districts. These officers, who had handled previous cyclones under the Naveen Patnaik administration, will oversee rescue and relief work in Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara. Majhi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is closely coordinating with district administrations, deploying 288 rescue teams, and preparing for mass evacuations. Cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port, bringing winds up to 120 km/h and heavy rainfall across Odisha and West Bengal. Schools have been closed, and tourists are being evacuated from vulnerable areas like Puri. The state has mobilized National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and Fire Services teams, while around 800 cyclone shelters have been readied for those evacuated. This will be Majhi’s first major test in comparison to his predecessor, Naveen Patnaik, who set high standards for disaster management during his two-decade tenure. Patnaik’s government was praised for its effective handling of Cyclone Phailin in 2013, with zero human casualties.