Kendrapara: With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announcing that the impending Cyclone Dana is likely to make a landfall between the Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, authorities have undertaken special measures to protect the reserve and its inhabitants.
All employees of the Bhitarkanika National Park have been kept on high alert with closure of the wildlife reserve for tourists for the next three days Thursday. A decision on entry of visitors to the reserve will be decided after assessing the post-cyclone situation, said an official.
The Bhitarkanika National Park authorities have formed special teams to prevent any intentional or inadvertent entry of people and undertaken precautionary measures to meet any eventuality and minimise damage and loss to the forest and animals during passing of Cyclone Dana Mangrove Wildlife Division, Rajnagar, DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav said.
Keeping in view the possibility of crocodiles moving close to human settlements during the cyclone, two teams have formed to respond to distress calls from locals and rescue the reptiles. One team has been deployed in Bhitarkanika, while the other in Rajnagar.
This apart, five teams have been formed in coordination with the Kendrapara district administration to deal with any kind of disruption in road communication due to felling of trees during the cyclone. These teams have been deployed in Aul, Kanika, Rajnagar, Pattamundai and Mahakalpada.
In addition, a divisional control room has also been activated and patrolling boats have been moored.
