BHUBANESWAR : Even as lightning strikes claim more than 300 lives in Odisha annually, the state government is yet to prepare a lightning action plan as directed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The NDMA in its key policy document issued in 2019 to address lightning hazards had instructed states to prepare state lightning action plans as per the guidelines on prevention and management of thunderstorms and lightning/squall, dust/hailstorm and strong winds.
However so far, only seven out of 36 states and Union territories have developed the action plans. Surprisingly, most vulnerable states including Odisha, have not yet formulated the state lightning action plan that would have helped devise mitigation strategies.
Professor of Geography at FM University Manoranjan Mishra, who has extensively researched on lightning in the country, said though Odisha had launched a mobile application ‘Satark’ to provide actionable early warning information for improved disaster management, it is not functioning properly.
“The government has been using digital platforms to send the alerts but it is not reaching the most vulnerable persons like agriculture workers or daily wagers as they hardly use digital platforms. The warning must be targeted and people must be aware about what to do and what not to do,” he said.
According to global best practices, lightning deaths are preventable through streamlined actions focused on prevention, mitigation, public awareness and compliance. The US, which is more lightning-prone than India, has managed to reduce its lightning fatalities by 90 per cent. Countries like Brazil, Venezuela and South Africa, despite being some of the most lightning-prone countries, have minimised deaths by adopting a citizen-centric approach.
Prof Mishra said lightning in the state mostly occurs between 2 pm and 7 pm in the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. “We can significantly reduce lightning-related deaths by disseminating practical safety measures like avoiding open fields, staying away from tall objects and disconnecting electrical appliances during storms. The government can discourage people from doing agricultural activities during the afternoon and compensate them,” he added.
BOLT FROM THE BLUE
* Lightning claims over 300 lives in Odisha annually
* Only 7 out of 36 states and UTs have developed state lightning action plans so far
* Lightning deaths 4th highest in state; 10,741 lives claimed during 1967-2020
* Lightning strikes frequent during pre-monsoon, monsoon seasons