Cyclone ‘Dana’: Govt closes schools in 14 dists for 3 days, President postpones Odisha tour

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday announced closure of schools in 14 districts for three days from October 23 to 25 in view of cyclone ‘Dana’.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Deoranjan Kumar Singh, in an official letter to secretary, School and Mass Education department on the day, said the lMD, Bhubaneswar has forecast that a well-marked low pressure area has been developed over east-central Bay of Bengal and is very likely to move west northwestwards and intensify into a depression by October 22 morning and into a cyclonic storm by October 23.

Thereafter, it is very likely to move north westwards and reach northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha-West Bengal coasts by October 24 morning. It is further very likely to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar lsland during night of October 24 and early morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.

Under its impact, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts are likely to be affected with wind action as well as heavy rainfall.

“In view of the cyclonic storm, the schools in the above districts from October 23 to 25 will remain closed as a precautionary measure,” the SRC said and advised to take necessary action in this regard.

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu has postponed her 3-day visit to Odisha from October 23. The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the President, in an official letter, informed about the postponement of the President’s scheduled Odisha visit. The President was scheduled to visit the state from October 23 to 25. As per the itinerary, she was scheduled to visit Bangirposi, Uparbeda, Rairangpur, Puri and Bhubaneswar during the three-day tour.