Telecom service providers in Odisha have activated intra-circle roaming in seven districts under a red-warning alert for Cyclone Dana, as announced by State Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Thursday. This arrangement enables telecom operators to share each other’s networks, ensuring uninterrupted service in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Cuttack from 8 a.m.
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According to a Department of Telecommunications circular, all four providers—BSNL, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone—are offering intra-circle roaming in the affected districts. To further support connectivity, diesel generator (DG) sets have been stationed at telecom towers to address potential power outages. Telecom providers have also readied technical teams to repair any cyclone-related tower damage, the minister added.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Cyclone Dana was moving north-northwest at 13 km/h, situated 90 km southeast of Paradip, 110 km south-southeast of Dhamara, and 210 km south of Sagar Island. Landfall is expected between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port late Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Reliance Jio announced additional measures to maintain connectivity in Odisha and West Bengal, including 24/7 control rooms, real-time monitoring, and rapid restoration teams equipped with backup power and critical spares. Jio also activated Interconnect Roaming (ICR) to keep customers connected on any available network during the cyclone.
