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"Yesterday’s well-marked low pressure area over east-central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST on October 22, over the same region near latitude 15.4° N and longitude 91.2°E, about 730 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 770 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 740 km south-southeast of Khepupara (Bangladesh)," said the IMD.

The IMD further noted that the system is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23 over the east-central Bay of Bengal.

"Thereafter, continuing to move northwestwards, it is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 24 and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during the night of October 24 and the next morning as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph," it added.

Notably, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier asserted that the state government is fully prepared to deal with the impending severe cyclonic storm.

CM Majhi, while emphasising the government's resolve to ensure 'zero casualty' in the cyclone, has appealed to the people not to panic.

The Chief Minister has also reviewed the preparedness to face the cyclone in a high-level meeting at the Lok Seva Bhavan here on Monday. All the District Collectors have been instructed to identify the affected areas and ensure evacuation of all the people from vulnerable places to safer places.

The state government has also cancelled the leaves of all its employees from October 23 to 25. The schools in 14 affected districts will also remain closed during the above period.

The tourists have also been asked to leave Puri before the cyclonic storm hits the Odisha coast. The state government has advised the devotees from the state and outside to avoid visiting the holy city on October 24 and 25.

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Both players are recovering from injuries that kept them out or limited their participation in the first Test, where India suffered a defeat in Bengaluru.

Pant, who injured his knee during New Zealand’s first innings, left the field and did not return to wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the match. Dhruv Jurel replaced him behind the stumps, but India hopes Pant will be fit enough to resume his role in Pune.

"Yeah, I think everyone's really well. There wasn't too much bowling in that first Test, so the fast bowlers are all good. Rishabh's pretty good," Ryan said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. "I think Rohit Sharma touched on it the other day. He was having a little bit of discomfort at the end range of his movement with the knee. But fingers crossed he'll be good to keep in this Test as well."

Shubman Gill, who missed the first Test due to neck stiffness, has also been progressing well. "He's batted last week in Bangalore, he had a few nets," the assistant coach said of Gill. "He's got a little bit of discomfort, but I'll think he will be good to go for the Test."

Ryan also claimed that there are no concerns about KL Rahul's form at the moment but admitted that there is a big fight for places within the team. Rahul was terribly out of touch in the Bengaluru Test as he got for a duck in the first innings and 12 in the second one.

The return of Gill raises a significant selection challenge for India, especially in the batting department. Sarfaraz Khan, who replaced Gill in the Bengaluru Test, capitalised on his opportunity with a stunning 150. His standout performance adds to the complexity of India's middle-order decisions, especially with Rahul's current form under scrutiny.

"He didn’t play and miss at any balls. That’s what tends to happen when you're not getting runs. He got two balls in the game, one down the leg side and one that he managed to nick," ten Doeschate explained. "There’s certainly no concerns about KL. He’s batting nicely, and he’s in a good mental space."

The assistant coach hinted at a fierce competition for spots in the playing XI, particularly in the middle order. "Sarfaraz was brilliant in the last Test... We certainly have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test. We will look at the pitch now and decide what's going to be best for the team," he said.

The second Test between India and New Zealand begins on October 24.

--IANS

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Speaking to media persons here, Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday said officials have so far visited 250 cyclone relief centres where the people will be housed after evacuation.

Apart from these cyclone shelters, an additional 500 temporary shelters have been made ready including schools and colleges, the Minister added.

The Minister stated that officials at the ground level have been instructed to make arrangements for women in cyclone shelters where women police will be deployed.

Food, water, medicine, electricity and other essentials are kept in readiness for the people to be evacuated due to the impending cyclone, he said.

The Minister said the State government has also prepared a list of pregnant women who are expected to deliver in a fortnight. All those women are being shifted to the nearby hospital in order to avoid any difficulty during the calamity.

The Odisha government has already ordered closure of schools in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khurda, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts for three days from Wednesday, as a precautionary measure against the cyclone Dana.

The State government has also cancelled the leave of all staff from October 23 to 25.

Notably, the severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ likely to be formed in the Bay of Bengal on October 23 is very likely to cross between Odisha’s Puri and Sagar Island in West Bengal during the 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.

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