Kolkata (West Bengal): Expressing solidarity with the people in view of cyclone ‘Dana’, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said that it is a moment of crisis but the state has braved many storms and will face this also with “confidence” and “fortitude”.
In a video message, Governor Bose said, “We are now in a moment of crisis. Cyclone Dana is nearing, but we in Bengal have braved many storms and will face it with confidence and fortitude.”
“Bengal will stand together and we shall overcome. My dear brothers and sisters, please follow all instructions issued by the government and disaster management authority. Please follow dos and don’ts prescribed by them. All the disaster management machinery of the state government and the Government of India are kept well-oiled and fighting fit,” he added.
The West Bengal Governor further asserted that coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.
“There is no calamity that a human mind cannot overcome,” he said.
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.
On Tuesday, the West Bengal government announced that schools and academic institutions would remain closed in several parts of the state following a notice from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) regarding Cyclone Dana, which is expected to make landfall on the West Bengal coast by October 24.
The IMD has indicated that Cyclone Dana is likely to move northwestwards 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.