Rail and air services are being affected due to ‘Cyclone Dana’ in Eastern India. The cyclone is likely to make landfall on Friday morning between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha, at a distance of about 70 km. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that wind speeds could reach around 120 kilometers per hour at the time of landfall.
On Wednesday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav held a meeting with the Railway Board and senior officials of the East Coast and South-Eastern zones to take stock of the preparedness of the railway services to mitigate the impact of cyclone ‘Dana’. Due to the cyclone, there is a possibility of heavy rain in West Bengal, especially in the coastal districts and Kolkata. The Meteorological Department has predicted that Kolkata and surrounding areas may receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
As part of preparations for Cyclone Dana, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a total of 56 teams across five states, including Odisha and West Bengal. Apart from this, nine teams each have been sent to Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, while one team has also been deployed in Chhattisgarh, as these states may also be at risk of heavy rains and floods after the cyclone. The cyclone may hit these states by late Thursday night or Friday morning. Officials have urged citizens to remain alert and move to safe places.
190 local trains canceled in Sealdah division of Eastern Railway
Taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of passengers, Eastern Railway has suspended the operation of 190 local trains in its Sealdah division from 8 pm on Thursday night to 10 am on Friday due to the arrival of cyclonic storm ‘Dana’. According to Eastern Railway official, the canceled trains are located in Sealdah South and Hasnabad sections.
– Trains canceled include 13 up and 11 down trains in Sealdah-Canning section, 15 up and 10 down trains in Sealdah-Laxmikantpur section, 15 up and 14 down trains in Sealdah-Budge Budge section, 15 in Sealdah-Diamond Harbor section. Up and 15 Dn trains, 7 Up and 9 local trains in Sealdah-Baruipur section and 11 Up and 9 Dn local trains in Sealdah-Barasat/Hasnabad section.
– The official further informed that the last trains from Hasnabad and Namkhana stations located near the coastal areas of North and South 24 Parganas districts will leave for Sealdah by 7 pm on October 24.
– Metro Railway authorities have confirmed that they are implementing necessary measures to maintain normal services and ensure the safety of passengers. Fourteen trains passing through the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone have been canceled due to cyclonic storm ‘Dana’, according to an official on Wednesday.
– On Tuesday, South Eastern Railways announced the cancellation of more than 150 express and passenger trains running in its jurisdiction due to the cyclone. East Coast Railway also reported cancellation of 198 trains originating from Odisha or passing through Odisha.
Public Relations Officer of Railways said that LTT-Puri Express, Durg-Puri Express, Brahmapur-Surat Express, Puri-Durg Express, Puri-Ajmer Express, Puri-Ahmedabad Express and Puri-Rishikesh Express will remain canceled on Thursday.
– Visakhapatnam-Amritsar Hirakud Express and Puri-Nizamuddin Express will also remain canceled on October 25, while Rishikesh-Puri Utkal Express and Surat-Brahmapur Express have been canceled on October 23.
– Additional cancellations include Gandhidham-Puri Express on October 22, Ajmer-Puri Express on October 29 and Ahmedabad-Puri Express on October 26.
Flight operations at Kolkata airport will be suspended from 6 pm on Thursday
Keeping in mind the possible impact of cyclone ‘Dana’, Kolkata airport authorities have decided to suspend flight operations for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday. An officer gave this information. Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said on Wednesday that this step has been taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers, airline staff, various equipment and infrastructure.
“In view of the impact of cyclone ‘Dana’ in the coastal region of West Bengal and the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata, flights will be suspended from 6 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25,” an AAI spokesperson said. It has been decided to suspend operations.
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