September 5th 2024.
Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, has been a witness to some alarming numbers - 1,625 deaths due to lightning strikes in the past five years. This was revealed by the state's Revenue and Disaster Management minister, Suresh Pujari, during a session at the state Assembly on Thursday. In response to a question posed by BJP legislator Tankadhar Tripathy, Pujari shared that the state has recorded a total of 1,625 fatalities caused by lightning strikes between the fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2023-2024.
Out of these, the highest number of deaths - 372 - were reported in 2019-2020, followed by 338 in 2020-2021, and 294 in 2021-2022. In 2022-2023, the state recorded 334 deaths, and in 2023-2024, there were 287 fatalities due to lightning strikes, according to the minister's written reply to the Assembly. Pujari also highlighted that Odisha has had the highest number of lightning-related deaths in the country during this period. He attributed this to the higher mineral deposits in the state, which tend to attract lightning strikes as minerals are excellent conductors of electricity.
The minister shared that all 30 districts of Odisha have reported lightning deaths, with the maximum number of fatalities - 151 - in the tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district. Ganjam district came second with 114 deaths, followed by Keonjhar and Balasore districts with 111 deaths each. The lowest number of deaths, 14, were reported in Boudh district. Pujari also informed the Assembly that lightning was declared a state-specific disaster by the Odisha government in April 2015, as it has not been recognized as a natural disaster by the central government. The state has been providing compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those killed in lightning strikes, along with additional provisions for hospitalization and injuries.
The minister also shed light on the alarming numbers of lightning strikes in Odisha. On average, the state records more than six lakh lightning strikes every year, with the highest number - 4.31 lakh - in Mayurbhanj district, followed by Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts with 3.02 lakh and 2.75 lakh strikes respectively. Other districts such as Ganjam, Angul, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Koraput, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Rayagada, Bolangir, and Cuttack have also witnessed a high number of strikes in the past six years.
To mitigate the effects of lightning, the state government has taken several measures, including planting palm trees. The Revenue Department has allocated Rs 7 crore to the Forest Department for this purpose. The state government is also focusing on creating public awareness for effective lightning management. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority is providing early warning and advisory to the public through the Satark mobile app, developed with technical support from the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System based in Pune.
In conclusion, the state government is taking proactive steps to address the issue of lightning strikes in Odisha. However, it is crucial for the public to be aware and take precautions to avoid such tragedies. The government is also continuously monitoring the situation and providing necessary support to those affected by these natural disasters. By working together, we can minimize the impact of lightning strikes in our state.
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