Bhubaneswar: With 14 districts expected to bear the brunt of the severe cyclonic storm Dana, the Odisha government declared the closure of schools in to-be-affected districts from October 23 to 25.
Going by a notification issued by the Special Relief Commissioner, schools will remain closed in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts which are likely to be affected by the cyclone.
According to sources, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal will intensify into a depression by October 22 and a cyclonic storm by October 23.
The system is expected to reach the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts by October 24 morning. It is likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during the night of October 24 and early morning of October 25 with wind speed of 100-110 KMPH gusting up to 120 KMPH.
“Under its impact, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts are likely to be affected with wind action as well as heavy rainfall. Keeping in view, the schools in the above districts from October 23d to October 25 shall remain closed as a precautionary measure”, read the notification issued by the Special Relief Commissioner.
