Sea beaches wear adeserted look

Berhampur/Puri: Popular sea beaches of Odisha wore a deserted look on Wednesday as the State is making preparations to tackle cyclone Dana which is likely to make landfall in the early hours of October 25. Besides gusting wind, the cyclone will bring torrential rain and tidal waves in the State, because of which the administration has restricted entry of people to the beaches.

Except for some police personnel, no visitors could be found on the seashores of Puri, Gopalpur, Paradip, Chandipur and others. The IMD on Wednesday said the cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port, located around 70 km away from each other, early on Friday.

While the district administration of Ganjam has closed the beaches in Gopalpur and Sunapur for three days from Wednesday, the Jagatsinghpur district authorities imposed a prohibitory orders against the assembly of people at Paradip and Siali beaches. Police personnel have been deployed on the sea beaches in Gopalpur, Puri, Paradip and Chandipur.

Puri’s marine drive and Blue Flag beaches attract a sizeable number of tourists every day throughout the year. Similar is the case at Gopalpur, a beach resort town, and Sunapur, a Blue Flag beach, in Ganjam district. The police have tightened security on beaches after the IMD forecast tidal surge of up to 2 metres in coastal areas.

Besides guarding the beach, police officials intensified patrolling in Gopalpur, said Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. He said forces have also been deployed at fishing harbours in Gopalpur to prevent fishermen from venturing into the sea.

Impact of the cyclonic storm has already been felt due to the high-tidal waves of the sea which lashed the beach after the formation of the cyclonic storm on Wednesday morning. “The tidal waves are higher than usual. It might be due to the impact of the cyclonic storm Dana” said K Rameya, a 50-year-old fisherman in Gopalpur. The condition of the sea would be rough when the cyclone advances towards the Odisha coast,” said K Raghunath of Markandi.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” said Ganjam Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida. All the cyclone centres in the district have been made ready to shift the people.

Transport and Commerce Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, who was asked by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to monitor the rescue and rehabilitation works in Ganjam district in the wake of the cyclone, has already reached the district headquarters town Berhampur. The minister reviewed the preparation of the district administration to face any eventuality.