Cyclone Dana: Odisha’s ‘Zero Casualty Mission’ proves successful with no lives lost

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the severe cyclonic storm Dana, which began its landfall process shortly after midnight, had fully made landfall by Friday (Oct 25) morning.

Over the past day, heavy rainfall and strong winds from the storm impacted coastal districts in the Indian state of Odisha and southern regions of West Bengal. Meanwhile, light to moderate showers were recorded in parts of Jharkhand beginning Thursday night.

In an update, the IMD confirmed that Dana had completed its landfall, noting that the process took approximately eight and a half hours for the storm to fully cross into land.

Odisha’s Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, announced on Friday that the state had successfully maintained its “Zero Casualty Mission,” with no reports of fatalities or injuries linked to the cyclone Dana’s landfall on Thursday night.

During a morning briefing, Majhi highlighted the absence of human casualties. “There is no report of any death of any human life. Our zero casualty Mission has been successful with cooperation of everyone,” he said.

Majhi also explained the state’s preventative measures, saying that the government aimed to avoid casualties from the outset, given the cyclone’s expected formation in the Bay of Bengal. To this end, around 600,000 people were evacuated to safety, preserving lives across affected areas.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that Cyclone Dana claimed one life in the state. She added that, as a precaution, the administration relocated approximately 216,000 residents from vulnerable, low-lying regions.

Air and rail services in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata resumed on Friday morning as the cyclone began to move away from Odisha’s coast. Operations at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) recommenced around 8:00 pm (local time) after being halted at 5:00 pm on October 24 due to the storm.

Flight services at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport also resumed at 8:00 am (local time) after having been suspended the previous evening for safety reasons.

As per IMD, Dana’s landfall started around 12:05 pm on Thursday night and concluded roughly eight and a half hours later at 8:30 am on Friday.

The cyclone initially struck the coastal region near Habalikhati Nature Camp in Bhitarkanika and Dhamara with wind speeds reaching 110 kmph. Now, Dana has weakened to a cyclonic storm, with its centre positioned approximately 50 km north-northwest of Dhamra and 30 km northeast of Bhadrak town.

According to the IMD, “The maximum sustained wind speed around the centre of the cyclone is about 80 kmph to 90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph.”

(With inputs from agencies)