Cyclone Dana alert! Schools will remain closed from THIS date in Kolkata, 9 districts in South Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that government schools in nine districts in South Bengal, including Kolkata, will be closed from October 23 to 26 due to Cyclone Dana. The government has stockpiled relief supplies and prepared cyclone shelters in coastal areas.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by October 23. Coastal Odisha and West Bengal are expected to be affected on October 24.

Speaking about the preparations to combat the cyclone, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said at a press conference: “Chief secretaries of various departments have been given charge of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, East Midnapore, West Midnapore. and Jhargram districts. They will monitor the situation. Ministers from these districts will not leave the station until the cyclone passes.”

The centers under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) will also remain closed as a precautionary measure, she said.

“ICDS centers will remain closed during this period. Tourism activities in coastal towns have been halted. Fishermen who ventured into the Bay of Bengal were told to turn back,” Banerjee added.

Schools in Odisha remain closed

Meanwhile, schools in 14 districts will be closed from Wednesday to Friday, and fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea, a senior official from the Special Relief Commissioner’s office, which oversees disaster management, told Reuters.

Tourists and pilgrims visiting the coastal city of Puri, home to the famous Jagannath temple, have been asked to leave, officials said, while rescue teams were on standby.

IMD DG Mrutunjay Mohapatra said that the entire east coast from Puri and the West Bengal coast is likely to be affected by the approaching Cyclone Dana.

A depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the early hours of October 25 and cross the Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island with wind speed of 100-110 kmph with gusts up to 120 km/h. according to the IMD.