Thu Oct 24 21:50:00 UTC 2024: Here are the important points from the news article regarding Cyclone ‘Dana’:

1. **Cyclone Landfall**: The landfall of severe cyclonic storm Dana began on Thursday night and is expected to continue until Friday morning, as reported by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

2. **Current Location**: At 4:30 PM, the storm was located 150 km southeast of Paradip, Odisha, and 250 km south-southeast of Sagar Island, West Bengal.

3. **Evacuation Plans**: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the identification of over 356,000 people for evacuation from low-lying areas, with around 243,374 already moved to relief camps as of Thursday.

4. **Government Monitoring**: CM Banerjee and top state officials, including Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, are monitoring the situation closely from the state secretariat.

5. **Weather Warnings**: South Bengal, including Kolkata and neighboring districts, is experiencing moderate to heavy rains, with forecasts of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours.

6. **Safety Precautions**: Fishermen are advised to stay away from the sea due to anticipated wind speeds of up to 110 km/h, which are expected to strengthen to 120 km/h at landfall.

7. **Transportation Disruptions**: Public transport is expected to face severe disruptions, with over 170 trains cancelled by South Eastern Railway and 68 suburban trains cancelled by Eastern Railway for Friday morning.

8. **Airport Operations**: Operations at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were suspended from 6 PM Thursday until 9 AM Friday as a safety measure against high winds and heavy rain.

9. **Disaster Response**: 13 battalions from the state’s disaster management and 14 battalions from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in coastal areas, while the Indian Coast Guard has mobilized resources for emergency situations.

10. **Public Communication**: Authorities are communicating the developments and safety measures to the public to ensure preparedness ahead of the cyclone’s impact.

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