Dana Cyclone: Train services cancelled

Bhubaneswar:With Cyclone Dana approaching, the Sealdah division said it has cancelled 190 train services from 8PM on Thursday till 10 amon Friday and made elaborate arrangements to counter any fallout of the cyclonic storm.

Cyclone Dana is likely to cross the Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island in the early hours of October 25 with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph.

Sealdah division DRM Deepak Nigam said, "The emergency control office to be monitored by officers will be set up from today itself and will be there till October 25. To counter water logging, we have installed water pumps at various locations. Trees have been trimmed. Critical locations specially in South 24 Paraganas such as Canning, Diamond Harbour, Naamkhana will be monitored by senior officials, people for signal and telecom department and the engineering department. We will have medical team deployed at critical locations." The administration has installed anemometer at the critical locations to monitor the speed of wind and chalk out strategies. Hoardings and advertisement boards have been pulled down as a precautionary measures.

"We have planned of cancellation of suburban services that are originating from Sealdah South. The last train from Sealdah South will be at 8 pm and will remain suspended till October 25 10 am. So we have about 190 services that will remain suspended from 8pm tomorrow till 10 am on October 25," added Nigam.

The storm is likely to bring very heavy rainfall in south Bengal districts on October 24 and 25, the IMD said. Heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpour at one or two places is likely in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur and Jhargram districts. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Purulia and Bankura districts between October 24 and 25, the Met said.