The severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ completed its landfall on Friday morning, around eight and a half hours after it first hit the coast of Bengal and Odisha, as reported by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The storm, which initially made landfall at wind speeds of 110 kmph, gradually weakened into a cyclonic storm and was centered near Dhamra and Bhadrak in Odisha by morning. As per IMD projections, the storm is expected to continue moving northwest and weaken further into a deep depression in the next six hours, with continuous monitoring by the Doppler radar at Paradip.

Impact and Successful ‘Zero Casualty’ Mission
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the state’s ‘zero casualty mission’ was a success, with no reported loss of life. He attributed this outcome to the coordinated efforts of government agencies, emergency responders, and public representatives, as well as the cooperation of the affected communities. “With the blessings of Lord Jagannath and teamwork across the board, we were able to save lives,” Majhi said, acknowledging the tireless efforts of NDRF, ODRAF, Odisha Police, and fire service teams who worked through difficult conditions to prevent fatalities.

Meanwhile, in West Bengal, officials are beginning a comprehensive assessment of the damage caused by Dana. The cyclone brought heavy rains and winds, leading to waterlogging in areas like Mandarmani in Purba Medinipur and Gosaba in South 24 Parganas. State Power Minister Aroop Biswas confirmed that while damage reports are still being compiled, teams have started addressing issues of power outages and infrastructure repairs across affected areas.

Restoration Work Underway: Resumed Flight and Rail Operations
In the aftermath of the storm, both Odisha and West Bengal have initiated restoration work. In Odisha, NDRF and ODRAF teams began clearing roads blocked by fallen trees, particularly in the Dhamra area of the Bhadrak district. Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, noted significant damage to electrical infrastructure, which restoration teams are actively addressing.

Both Bhubaneswar Airport in Odisha and Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport resumed operations at 8 am on Friday, having suspended flights since Thursday evening as a precautionary measure. The Indian Railways, which had canceled over 200 trains in anticipation of the cyclone, is also working to restore services.

Precautionary Measures and Mass Evacuations
In preparation for Cyclone Dana, Odisha and West Bengal took proactive measures to ensure the safety of residents.

Odisha: The Odisha government evacuated over 1 million residents from vulnerable coastal areas to shelters across 14 districts. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari shared that around 3,000 high-risk villages were identified, and teams were sent in advance to facilitate evacuations. The state deployed a robust force of 20 NDRF teams, 51 ODRAF teams, 178 fire service units, and over 200 platoons of police personnel.

West Bengal : Similarly, the West Bengal administration evacuated over 350,000 people across eight districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, and the North and South 24 Parganas. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee monitored the situation closely from a control room in Kolkata, overseeing evacuation operations and ensuring resources were directed to high-risk areas.

With Cyclone Dana now moving inland and weakening, officials from both states are focusing on detailed damage assessments and continuing restoration efforts to bring normalcy back to affected communities.