Cyclone Dana: School holidays extended for 5 Odisha districts until rain recedes

As heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty surface wind continues to batter Odisha under the impact of Cyclone Dana, the district administrations of five districts announced the extension of holidays for school students.

With the rain yet to recede, the administration called for school holidays in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, and Keonjhar. As per reports, schools for Class I to X will remain shut for the day in Bhadrak district. Similarly, all schools will remain closed until further orders in Mayurbhanj.

Similar is the condition of schools in Keonjhar and Kendrapara. As most of the schools have been functioning as shelter homes and housing evacuees, the District Collectors have announced a holiday for students. This apart, Anganwadi centers will also remain closed in the districts most affected by the cyclone.

Not just schools, but colleges have also announced holidays in the Balasore district. However, colleges in the other four districts will function with precautionary measures in place for college-goers.

Earlier, the state government had announced the closure of schools for three days, from October 23 to 25 in 14 districts in view of Cyclone Dana.

Meanwhile, the deep depression (remnant of the severe cyclonic storm “DANA”) over north Odisha remained practically stationary during the past 6 hours, weakened into a Depression over the same region, and lay centered at 2330 hrs IST of yesterday, the 25th October near latitude 21.4°N and longitude 86.2°E about 50 km northwest of Bhadrak and 70 km east-southeast of Keonjhar. 

It is likely to move nearly westwards across north Odisha and weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours. The system is under continuous surveillance of the doppler weather radar at Paradip, the IMD informed.