Cyclone Dana: Odisha Civil Services Preliminary Examination Postponed, New Dates Soon

Odisha : The Odisha Civil Services Preliminary Examination, initially scheduled for October 27, has been postponed due to the looming Cyclone Dana. The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) announced the decision in view of the impending storm. A new date for the exam will be announced after seven days, according to the commission. Candidates are advised to keep an eye on official updates.

The Indian Meterological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said Cyclone ‘Dana’ is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha early Friday.

Umashankar Das, senior scientist at the regional meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, said, "Based on the trajectory of the system, it is anticipated that Cyclone ‘Dana’ will make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district and Dhamra port in Bhadrak district." During the landfall, a tidal surge of up to 2 metres is expected, with the cyclone reaching the coast at a wind velocity of 120 km/h, he said.

The Odisha government began evacuating people from coastal areas and deployed 288 rescue teams across 14 districts, officials said.

The state has already mobilized 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, and 178 Fire Services teams. Additionally, 40 more teams have been sent to assist in the affected areas.

On Wednesday morning, the Indian Air Force flew 150 NDRF personnel and relief supplies to Bhubaneswar using two aircraft.

Districts on high alert include Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, and Mayurbhanj.