Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 – NDRF and ODRAF teams have commenced restoration efforts by clearing uprooted trees from roads in the coastal districts of Odisha, as the landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Dana continues, according to an official report.
As of 8:23 AM, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicated that the landfall process was still ongoing, with the rear sector of the cyclone making landfall. “The landfall process will continue for the next 1-2 hours, and the system is expected to move nearly northwest across northern Odisha, gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm by the forenoon of October 25,” the IMD stated. The situation is being closely monitored by Doppler radar in Paradip.
Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, who is overseeing Bhadrak district, reported no casualties thus far. “There have been no reports of casualties. However, extensive damage has occurred to electrical installations due to fallen trees, and efforts are underway to clear the roads,” he noted.
Despite facing heavy rainfall and gusty winds in the Dhamra area of Bhadrak district, the NDRF and ODRAF teams have begun their work. Ajay Mohanty, the Tehsildar of Rajnagar in Kendrapara district, mentioned that the Bhitarkanika area has experienced minimal damage, primarily consisting of uprooted trees and some thatched houses. “Wind speeds have decreased to between 80 to 90 km/h, but the rain continues to affect the area,” Mohanty added, noting that seawater had entered certain water bodies and low-lying regions during Thursday night’s tidal surge.
Chandabali in Bhadrak recorded the highest rainfall, measuring 131.6 mm over the past six hours, followed by Balasore with 42.8 mm, an official reported. Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is actively reviewing the cyclone situation at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner.
The coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and the nearby Jagatsinghpur district have experienced a surge in wind speeds, reaching between 100 to 110 km/h, along with extremely heavy rainfall during the cyclone’s landfall process.
In related developments, authorities at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar have announced the resumption of flight operations following improvements in weather conditions. The airport had suspended operations from 5 PM on Thursday due to the cyclone’s landfall. Additionally, the Indian Railways cancelled over two hundred trains in anticipation of the storm’s impact.
