Digha reopens to tourists after Cyclone ‘Dana’ disruption

Kolkata: Cyclone ‘Dana’ has caused significant disruption in the coastal areas of East Midnapore, leading to the temporary closure of entry points to popular beach destinations like Digha, Tajpur, Mandarmoni and Shankarpur. However, with the storm now passed and nature gradually returning to normal, these areas will reopen to tourists

starting Saturday.

District Magistrate Purunendu Maji confirmed that no major damage was reported in the affected areas. “Tourists will be able to visit the tourist centres starting Saturday,” he stated. Maji has been actively assessing the situation, conducting on-site inspections and preparing a report for the state secretariat, Nabanna.

Prior to the storm’s landfall, the district administration took precautionary measures by evacuating tourists from the region. Following a meeting with the hotel association, it was announced that all tourists needed to vacate their accommodations by noon on Wednesday, prompting many to return home starting that morning. The state government also arranged public buses for their convenience. Despite these efforts, some eager tourists arrived at Digha on Thursday morning, hoping to

witness the storm.

They were quickly relocated for safety. Sandipon Biswas from the Mandarmoni Resort and Hoteliers Association reported: “The situation is normalising. Many bookings had to be cancelled for this weekend, but we anticipate a surge in demand during the upcoming Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations. Next week, all resorts and hotels are fully booked and we look forward to welcoming tourists starting Saturday.”

The District Magistrate also reported that approximately 250 trees were uprooted by the storm and cleanup operations have been ongoing since Friday morning. Authorities are optimistic that by the time tourists arrive on Saturday, Digha will be restored to its welcoming and vibrant state, erasing the recent memories of the cyclone.