Cyclone ‘Dana’: Colleges and Universities to Remain Closed in 14 Odisha Districts from October 23

Bhubaneswar: In view of the impending Cyclone ‘Dana’, the Odisha government has announced the closure of colleges and universities in 14 districts for three days, from October 23 to 25. The move follows predictions from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that the depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm, with landfall expected between Kendrapada and Bhadrak districts between October 24 and 25.

The office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed the Higher Education Department to shut down educational institutions in the districts most likely to be impacted by the cyclone’s wind action and heavy rainfall. The affected districts include Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khurda, Nayagarh, and Cuttack.

This decision comes a day after SRC DK Singh directed the School and Mass Education Department to close schools in these same districts from October 23 to 25 as a precautionary measure.

Authorities are urging residents in these districts to remain vigilant, with disaster management teams on standby to respond to any potential impacts caused by the cyclone.