Cyclone Dana: Fishermen advised not to go into Odisha’s Chilika Lake till Oct 26

Odisha Gears Up for Cyclone Dana with Precautionary Measures and Evacuations

As Cyclone Dana approaches Odisha, the state government has initiated comprehensive preparations to mitigate its impact. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from October 24 to 26 across several districts, including Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Khorda, and Puri.

Khorda District Fisheries Officer Manoranjan Dash confirmed that fishermen have been advised to avoid Chilika Lake and the sea until October 26. “We have informed all fishermen of the cyclone guidelines and advised them to stay out of Chilika Lake,” Dash stated.

The IMD predicts that Cyclone Dana will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal by October 24, with wind speeds of 100-110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h. It is expected to make landfall between Puri and Sagar Island, near Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, by the night of October 24 or the early morning of October 25.

Pran Nath Seth, Executive Officer of Balugaon NAC, spoke about Khorda District’s preparations: “We are warning all residents to avoid visiting Chilika during the cyclone, and drains have been cleaned to prevent waterlogging.”

Udayakar Behera, Assistant Registrar Cooperative Society (ARCS) of Chilika, emphasized the safety of fishermen, stating, “We have alerted all fishermen in the cooperative society to avoid Chilika Lake. Their safety is our top priority.”

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been placed on standby in both Odisha and West Bengal, with rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard on high alert.