New Delhi: As many as 198 trains have been cancelled as safety measure in view of Cyclone Dana, which is expected to make a landfall between the coasts of North Odisha and West Bengal on the night of October 24 or in the wee hours of October 25.
The notable trains that have been cancelled include 12703 Howrah-Secunderabad (scheduled for Oct 24), 12821 Shalimar-Puri (Oct 24), 12552 Kamakhya-SMVT Bengaluru (Oct 23), 18045 Shalimar-Hyderabad (Oct 24), 12073 Howrah-Bhubaneswar (Oct 24), 12277 Howrah-Puri (Oct 24), 22851 Santragachi-Mangaluru (Oct 24), 8412 Bhubaneswar-Baleshwar (Oct 24), 12663 Howrah-Tiruchchirappalli (Oct 24), 3230 Patna-Puri (Oct 24), 8018 Baleshwar-Kharagpur (Oct 24), 12704 Secunderabad-Howrah (Oct 23), 12868 Pondicherry-Howrah (Oct 23), 22644 Patna-Ernakulam (Oct 24), 12514 Silchar-Secunderabad (Oct 23), 22504 Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari (Oct 23), 08415 Jaleswar-Puri (Oct 25), 12282 New Delhi-Bhubaneswar (Oct 24), 12816 Anand Vihar-Puri (Oct 24), 22874 Visakhapatnam-Digha (Oct 24), 12801 Puri-New Delhi (Oct 24), 18451 Hatia-Puri (Oct 24), 22330 Asansol-Haldia (Oct 25) and 06087 Tirunelveli-Shalimar (Oct 24).
In all, East Coast Railway has cancelled 28 train services in view of cyclone Dana. Many of these cancellations would affect trains that pass through or originate from Chennai. Passengers have been asked by Southern Railway to check official railway websites and apps such as NTES/IRCTC for further updates, as more cancellations may be announced.
Flight operations unaffected as of now
Flight operations will remain unaffected as of now. However, airport authorities in Kolkata have started bracing for any situation arising out of cyclonic Dana. West Bengal Chief Minister appealed to tourists from the state, who are visiting Puri in Odisha, to come back home as soon as possible.
Odisha and West Bengal governments have decided to evacuate people from vulnerable zones. The Indian Coast Guard has sounded high alert in some areas. Cyclone Dana is expected bring heavy rain in Odisha and Bengal.
Schools, colleges to remain closed
The West Bengal government has ordered that schools and colleges were remain closed in nine districts from October 23 to 25, 2024, due to the approaching Cyclone Dana. These districts include Kolkata, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Bankura and Hooghly. All Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centers in these districts will also remain closed.
