President Droupadi Murmu’s Odisha visit postponed due to cyclone 'Dana'

Bhubaneswar, Oct 21: President Droupadi Murmu's planned three-day visit to Odisha, originally set for October 23, has been postponed due to the impending cyclone 'Dana,' which is expected to make landfall along the state's coast by Thursday. The state government has announced that precautionary measures are being put in place to minimize the potential effects of the cyclone.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a cyclonic circulation developed over the north Andaman Sea on Sunday and is expected to strengthen into a low-pressure area within the next 12 hours. The system is forecasted to move west-northwestward, intensifying into a depression by October 22 and a cyclonic storm by October 23 over the east-central Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is then likely to approach the Odisha-West Bengal coastline by the morning of October 24.

During her visit, President Murmu was scheduled to lay the foundation stones for several key railway and development projects in her home district of Mayurbhanj. These projects include new railway lines such as Bangiriposi-Gorumahisani, Buramara-Chakulia, and Badampahar-Kendujhargarh, all of which were approved by the Ministry of Railways in August.