Cyclone Dana: Fishermen advised not to go into Odisha's Chilika Lake till Oct 26

Cyclone Dana: Fishermen Advised Not To Go Into Odisha's Chilika Lake Till Oct 26

by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

With Cyclone Dana approaching Odisha and predicted to make landfall in the early hours of October 25, the state government has made elaborate arrangements to counter the effects of cyclone.

Khordha, Oct 23: With Cyclone Dana approaching Odisha and predicted to make landfall in the early hours of October 25, the state government has made elaborate arrangements to counter the effects of cyclone.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal from October 24 to 26 at isolated places over Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack and Dhenkanal, Khorda and Puri districts of the state.

Khorda District Fisheries Officer (Biology and Technology) spoke about preparations taken by the government.

Manoranjan Dash, District Fisheries Officer (Biology and Technology), said that fisherfolk have been advised to not venture out into the sea.

"We have informed all the fishermen regarding cyclone guidelines of Odisha government. They have been advised not go inside Chilika Lake till October 26," he said.

According to IMD, the cyclone Dana is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by early morning of October 24 and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during night of October 24 to morning of October 25 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.

Balugaon NAC (Notified Area Council) Executive officer spoke to ANI about the preparedness by Khordha District Magistrate and House and Urban Development Department.

Balugaon NAC Executive officer Pran Nath Seth said are taking all possible measure to tackle the impact of cyclone Dana.

"As per the direction of Khordha Distrct Magistrate and House and Urban Development Department we have taken every possible measure to tackle cyclone Dana. We are warning all the people not to visit Chilika during the cyclone. We have cleaned all drains to avoid waterlogging. We are ready to face the cyclone", he said.

The Assistant Register Cooperative Society (ARCS) of Chilika said the safety of the fishermen society is important to the state government.

ARCS of Chilika, Udayakar Behera said, "We have alerted all the fishermen in the society by writing to them that they should avoid going to Chilika Lake during the cyclone. The safety of fishermen is our top priority....", he said.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams in both Odisha and West Bengal have been put on standby. Additionally, rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy and the Coast Guard have been placed on high alert.

(ANI)

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Cyclone Dana: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Appeals BJP Workers To Help People

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, Oct 23: Amid the looming threat of impending severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' in Odisha coast, senior BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday appealed his party workers to provide all possible help to the people in the possible cyclone-hit areas.

ସମ୍ଭାବ୍ୟ ସାମୁଦ୍ରିକ ବାତ୍ୟା ‘ଦାନା’ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଜଗତସିଂହପୁର, ଭଦ୍ରକ, ମୟୂରଭଞ୍ଜ, ପୁରୀ, କେନ୍ଦ୍ରାପଡ଼ା, ଗଞ୍ଜାମ, କେନ୍ଦୁଝର, ବାଲେଶ୍ୱର, ଯାଜପୁର, ଖୋର୍ଦ୍ଧା ଓ କଟକ ଜିଲ୍ଲା ବିଶେଷ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରଭାବିତ ହେବା ନେଇ ପାଣିପାଗ ବିଭାଗ ପକ୍ଷରୁ ପୂର୍ବାନୁମାନ କରାଯାଇଛି । ସମ୍ଭାବ୍ୟ ବାତ୍ୟାର ମୁକାବିଲା ପାଇଁ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଏବଂ ରାଜ୍ୟ ସରକାରଙ୍କ… — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 23, 2024

In a post on X, Pradhan, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, said: “The Weather Department has predicted that Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Puri, Kendrapara, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Balasore, Jajpur, Khordha and Cuttack districts will be particularly affected by the impeding Cyclone 'Dana'…. I request the workers of our party (BJP) to help the people in the possible cyclone-hit areas.”

The Union Minister also prayed to Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath for the safety of people.

Pradhan also said that the Odisha government is fully prepared to tackle any situation arising out of Cyclone Dana. He also called upon the people to cooperate with the State government and local administration in handling the cyclone's impact.

Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had claimed that the State government aims to ensure Zero casualties in the cyclone.

The Chief Minister instructed all MLAs to visit their respective assembly segments and assist with rescue and relief efforts. He also assigned Nine Ministers to districts expected to be heavily impacted by Cyclone 'Dana'.

Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the impending cyclonic storm Dana is expected to hit the Odisha coast between Bhitarkanika of Kendrapara district and Dhamara area of Bhadrak district on October 24 and 25.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that coastal areas of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore districts are likely to witness high tidal waves surging up to 1 to 2 meters in height due to the effect of the cyclone Dana.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has taken several precautionary measures, including evacuation of the residents living in around 3,000 identified vulnerable places in affected districts, deployment of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Services personnel in these districts.

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Sensex Ends Lower, Market Trend Remains Positive

by Utkalika Mohanty

Mumbai, Oct 23: The Indian stock market closed marginally low on Wednesday as selling was seen in auto, pharma, and metal sectors.

The Sensex closed at 80,081.98 after falling 138.74 points or 0.17 per cent. At the same time, Nifty closed at 24,435.50 after falling 36.60 points or 0.15 per cent.

The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 56,533.55 after rising 359.50 points or 0.64 per cent at the end of trading. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 18,286.20 after rising 225.20 points or 1.25 per cent. Nifty Bank closed at 51,239.00 after falling 18.15 points or 0.04 per cent.

Selling was seen in the auto, pharma, metal, realty, energy, private bank, infra, and commodities sectors of Nifty. At the same time, buying was seen in IT, PSU bank, financial services, FMCG sector, and media.

However, the market trend remained positive. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), 2,189 shares were trading in the green and 1,743 shares in the red, while 99 shares closed without any change.

Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, HDFC Bank, Infosys, TCS, Bajaj Finserv, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Maruti were the top gainers in the Sensex pack. At the same time, M&M, Sun Pharma, Powergrid, L&T, NTPC, Axis Bank, and Titan were the top losers.

Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Auto, Tata Consumer, TCS, HDFC Bank, HCL Tech, Coal India, and Infosys were the top gainers in the Nifty pack. Meanwhile, M&M, Sun Pharma, Eicher Motors, L&T, Shriram Finance, and NTPC were the top losers.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 3,978 crore on Tuesday, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 5,869 crore on the same day.

The rupee remained flat at nearly 84.07 as the dollar strengthened.

“Crude prices showed slight weakness, but foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to sell in Indian markets, maintaining pressure on the rupee,” said market experts.

Nifty witnessed a volatile day of trade. It swung in both directions and ultimately closed in the negative down 37 points.

Nifty pulled back however it was sold indicating inability to hold at higher levels. Daily as well as hourly momentum indicators have a negative crossover which is a sell signal, said experts.

--IANS

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Dharmendra Pradhan Addresses Australian International Education Conference

by Hemanta Pande

Melbourne, Oct 23: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan delivered the plenary speech at the Australian International Education Conference in Melbourne, Australia, today.

Delivered the plenary at the Australian International Education Conference.

Spoke about how NEP 2020 has transformed India’s learning landscape into a powerhouse of possibilities, the enduring India-Australia ties and the remarkable strides made in education cooperation powered… https://t.co/tsBKKFcxab pic.twitter.com/wGTeICAOLP — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 23, 2024

Pradhan in his speech commended the strong and evolving partnership between India and Australia that ties the history of the two countries and will also pave the way for a brighter future together.

The Minister also reaffirmed the further strengthening of these ties under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese.

Pradhan also highlighted that in the 4th Industrial Revolution, education must prepare students to be creators and managers of technology. India’s National Education Policy provides a framework emphasising digital literacy, soft skills, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary studies to adapt to evolving job markets, he added.

The Minister emphasized that cooperation in education is the fulcrum of the India-Australia relationship. He stated that the main objective is to enhance India's education system into a competency-based framework, focusing on skills-based education as outlined in India’s National Education Policy (NEP).

Pradhan also spoke about how NEP 2020 has transformed India’s learning landscape into a powerhouse of possibilities, the enduring India-Australia ties and the remarkable strides made in education cooperation powered by NEP 2020. The establishment of Australian university campuses in India is just the beginning, with much more potential to be realized, he added.

He also added that together, the countries can advance knowledge, leverage technology for global challenges, and create endless opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship for the students.

The Minister also expressed that as a ‘Vishwa-Bandhu’, India is committed to being a trusted partner in human-centric development. The idea is to build and nurture global citizens, contributing to a brighter future for the next generation, he said.