Bhubaneswar: In view of the impending cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ over the Bay of Bengal, the Odisha Government today declared three-day holiday for schools in 14 districts of the state.
The districts are Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh and Cuttack.
The schools in these districts will remain closed from 23rd October to 25th October 2024.
Special Relief Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh wrote a letter to the School and Mass Education Department in this regard.
The lMD, Bhubaneswar has predicted that a well-marked low pressure area has been developed over east central Bay of Bengal at 1130 hours IST of today, the 21st October 2024 which is very likely to move west-Northwestwards and intensify into a depression by 22nd October morning and into a cyclonic storm by 23rd October,2024 over east central Bay of Bengal.
Thereafter, it is very likely to move north westwards and reach northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha-West Bengal coasts by 24th October morning. It is further very likely to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar island during night of 24th and early morning 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 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 23d October to 25th October 2024 shall remain closed as a precautionary measure, the letter reads.