HYDERABAD: Imagine this, a prediction system for lightning like any other natural calamity like cyclone or floods! This is what is saving lives in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where lightning prediction system was installed.The Telangana government, however, is yet to take a cue from Andhra Pradesh which has started the lightning prediction system to minimise loss of lives due to lightning.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau 2015, lightning was responsible for 2,641 deaths across the country, which is 25 per cent of all accidental deaths due to natural causes.
In the same year, 55 people died in Telangana due to lightning and year before that it was 69. Last month on a single day, four people died of lightning in Adilabad. In AP, the number of people who died due to lightning as per the NCRB 2015 report is 87.
When contacted, Dr V Gopalakrishnan, scientist E at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, which is maintaining the Lightning Location Network in Maharashtra, said Telangana experiences around 20-30 days of thundershowers days annually when there is high probability of lightning. He said that this figure might have increased now.
Gopalakrishnan said that the ministry of earth sciences has plans of installing lightning prediction system across the country. However, installation of the system in Telangana might take time as the ministry plans to take it up state-wise depending on the severity of the issue. In states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the number of lightning deaths is much higher than that of Telangana.
Although deaths due to lightning are reported every year from Telangana, officials of disaster management wing when contacted, said that there is no plan of installing lightning prediction system in the state.
AP government took the initiative on its own to establish a system to predict lightning in collaboration with US-based Earth Networks, ISRO and APSCHE.
The system helps in finding a particular range of area with high probability of lightning as the exact location cannot be pinpointed. Officials at district, mandal and village levels are alerted around 45 minutes before an impending lightning strike. Once the information is received the village officials ensure that no one stays in vulnerable positions where they can be struck by lightning like under a tree thus minimizing human loss.
Three die as lightning strikes in Wanaparthy
According to police, three persons who went to agriculture fields to collect firewood, took shelter under a palm tree as it started raining in Balakistapur village of Atmakur mandal in the district on Friday. Lightning stuck the trio — Edanna (45), Paramesh (25) and Laxmamma (40) — killing them instantly.