Govt must extend support to states affected by Cyclone Dana: Congress

With the cyclonic storm Dana making a landfall in Odisha and impacting West Bengal and other eastern coastal regions, the Congress on Friday urged the government to extend comprehensive support to affected states and deploy all preventive and emergency measures to ensure public safety.

The IMD said the landfall process of the severe cyclonic storm Dana was complete on Friday morning and the system took at least eight and half hours to enter the landmass.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Cyclone Dana's landfall in Odisha and its impact on West Bengal and other eastern coastal regions necessitates utmost preparedness and swift action.

"The Union Government must extend comprehensive support to affected states, deploying all necessary preventive and emergency measures to ensure public safety," he said in a post on X.

"I appeal to all Congress workers to provide assistance to those in need," Kharge said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also urged the central government to provide full assistance to the affected states in this hour of crisis.

In a Facebook post in Hindi, he said the landfall of Cyclone Dana on the coast of Odisha, its impact on West Bengal and other eastern coastal states and the warning issued by the meteorological department, indicate the possibility of a serious natural disaster.

Citizens of the affected areas are requested to keep themselves in a safe zone by following the guidelines of the administration, he said.

"The central government is expected to provide full assistance to the affected states in this hour of crisis. Every possible effort should be made to protect the lives and property of the citizens and to prevent any kind of loss," Gandhi said.

He also urged Congress colleagues to fully help the administration in relief work while keeping themselves safe.

The country has to face this crisis unitedly, Gandhi added.

The landfall of 'Dana' started at about 12.05 pm on Thursday night and completed at around 8.30 am on Friday, an IMD scientist said.

The severe cyclone storm which hit the landmass at a wind speed of 110 kmph has weakened and has become a cyclonic storm. The cyclone lay centred at about 50 km north-north west of Dhamra and 30 km of north east of Bhadrak town.

The cyclone is likely to move northwestwards across north Odisha and weaken gradually into a deep depression during next six hours, the IMD said, adding the system is under continuous surveillance of the Doppler weather radar at Paradip.