Kolkata (West Bengal) [India]: In view of the impending landfall of Cyclone Dana and its effects predicted from the midnight of October 23 to the morning of October 26, the West Bengal Rajbhavan has set up a task force and control room to assist the public in this hour of need.
Governor CV Anand Bose called an emergency meeting of experts and the core team in the afternoon on Wednesday in the Raj Bhavan, Kolkata.
The Governor wished the people safety and security. The governor expresses confidence that the resilient people of Bengal will face the crisis with resilience and fortitude.
Governor Bose advised the people not to panic, to be resilient, and to follow the protocol and instructions of the competent authority and the state government on how to face the cyclone. People may stay in safe places. Those who are in vulnerable places may immediately seek help from the competent authority.
Under direction of the Governor, Raj Bhavan has opened a 24×7 control room with phone numbers: 033-22001641; email: emergency.danarajbhavan@gmail.com.
Shrikumar Bandyopadhyay, Head of Task Force (Coordination), former IG, SSB, and Ex-SPG, will head the Control Room.
Meanwhile, flight operations at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata will be suspended for 15 hours starting at 6:00 PM on Thursday as a precautionary measure ahead of Cyclone Dana.
According to airport authorities, flight operations will be halted from 6:00 PM on October 25 until 9:00 AM on October 26.
The IMD has indicated that Cyclone Dana is likely to move north-Westwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the northwest Bay of Bengal by the early hours of October 24.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in both Odisha and West Bengal have been placed on standby. Additionally, rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard are on high alert.