Cuttack: The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) on Wednesday postponed the Odisha Civil Services Preliminary Examination-2023 scheduled to be held on October 27 for impending severe cyclonic storm Dana that would hit Odisha coast by October 25.
“In view of the impending cyclonic storm ‘Dana’, the OCS Preliminary Examination-2023, pursuant to Advt. No. 20 of 2023.24 scheduled to be held on 27.10.2024 is hereby postponed,” the OPSC said in a public notice today.
The next date of the OCS Preliminary examination 2023 will be notified after 7 days, it said. The candidates have been advised to visit the website of the Commission at opsc.gov.in for further information.
The OPSC OCS examination 2023 is being conducted for 399 vacancies notified by various departments of the State Government.
Under the impact of the cyclone Dana, parts of Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts have started experiencing rain and adverse weather conditions this afternoon with the Indian Meteorological Centre (IMD) saying that the outer bands of Cyclone ‘Dana’ have begun to affect the eastern coastline.
Senior IMD scientist Umashankar Das posted on X, “According to radar data from Paradip, the outer band of Cyclone ‘Dana’ has touched the land mass in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts.”
He clarified that while the cyclone is around 500 km offshore, its outer bands, composed of clouds, can influence local weather conditions.
The IMD said Cyclone ‘Dana’ is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port, a distance of around 70km, early Friday.
In response to the cyclone’s movement, the State government has expedited evacuation efforts in the coastal districts of Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Puri and Jagatsinghpur.
The latest IMD bulletin forecast light to moderate rainfall—between 7 cm and 11 cm—at isolated locations in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Jajpur and Cuttack.
The weather officer also indicated that low-lying areas could be inundated in these districts during the cyclone’s landfall.
The State Government has issued emergency contact numbers and said residents can reach the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) at 7682982668