Cyclone Dana is wreaking havoc in eastern India, causing widespread travel disruptions. Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Bagdogra, and Guwahati airports are facing flight suspensions, while Indian Railways has canceled hundreds of trains. Authorities are urging residents to stay informed and take precautions as heavy winds, rainfall, and flooding are anticipated.
Durgapur Airport in West Bengal has welcomed two new IndiGo flight routes connecting Bhubaneswar to Bagdogra and Guwahati, enhancing connectivity and regional economic growth. These flights add to the airport’s existing destinations, which include Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in several states across northern and eastern India, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. These conditions are expected to persist from June 9th to June 12th, 2024. Meanwhile, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is anticipated in isolated areas of Kerala, Madhya Maharashtra, North Interior Karnataka, and Coastal Karnataka during the same period.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is focusing on developing eastern India as part of its overall strategy to build a developed India by 2047. The region was previously hindered by the ‘freight equalisation policy’, which subsidized mineral transportation costs and weakened incentives for industries to set up close to mining regions. This policy had negative consequences for the economic prospects of mineral-rich eastern states. The Modi government has eliminated this policy and has invested in the revival of state-run fertilizer plants in the region. As a result of these measures, the number of left-wing extremism incidents in the region has decreased by 76% since 2010.
