Upon reviewing data from the past 6 years, Suresh Pujari noted that Odisha experiences an average of over 6 lakh lightning strikes annually
OdishaPlus Bureau
Odisha has recorded a total of 1,625 fatalities resulting from lightning strikes over the past five years, as reported by Suresh Pujari, the state’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, during a session of the state Assembly. In response to an inquiry from BJP legislator Tankadhar Tripathy, the minister detailed that these deaths occurred between the financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24. Specifically, there were 372 fatalities in 2019-20, followed by 338 in 2020-21, and 294 in 2021-22. The subsequent years saw 334 deaths in 2022-23 and 287 in 2023-24, according to Pujari’s written statement to the Assembly.
During the discussion, the minister highlighted that Odisha experienced the highest number of lightning-related deaths in the nation during this timeframe. He noted that states with significant mineral deposits often report higher fatalities from lightning, as minerals are effective conductors of electricity.
Highest in Mayurbhanj
The minister’s statement indicated that lightning fatalities were recorded across all 30 districts of Odisha. The Mayurbhanj district, predominantly inhabited by tribal communities, reported the highest number of deaths at 151, followed by Ganjam district with 114 fatalities. Both Keonjhar, the district of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Balasore district each recorded 111 lightning-related deaths over the five-year period, while Boudh district had the lowest incidence, with only 14 reported deaths.
The Minister informed the House that the Odisha government officially recognized lightning as a state-specific disaster in April 2015, as the Government of India has not classified it as a natural disaster. The state has been offering an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the families of individuals who have lost their lives due to lightning strikes, funded by the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additionally, a compensation of Rs 16,000 is available for those who require hospitalization for over a week as a result of a lightning incident.
Upon reviewing data from the past six years, Pujari noted that Odisha experiences an average of over six lakh lightning strikes annually. The highest incidence was recorded in Mayurbhanj district, with 4.31 lakh strikes (approximately 72,000 per year), followed by Sundargarh district with 3.02 lakh strikes (around 50,000 annually) and Keonjhar district with 2.75 lakh strikes (approximately 46,000 each year). Furthermore, districts such as Ganjam, Angul, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Koraput, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Rayagada, Bolangir and Cuttack have each reported over one lakh lightning strikes during the last six years, according to Pujari.
Palm Tree Plantation
To enhance public safety, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) is utilizing real-time data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune to provide early warnings and advisories regarding lightning through the Satark mobile application, which was developed with technical assistance from the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES).
Pujari indicated that the planting of palm trees is being undertaken to reduce the impact of lightning. The Revenue Department has designated Rs 7 crore to the Forest Department specifically for the purpose of palm tree cultivation. Additionally, the state government has been actively promoting public awareness regarding the effective management of lightning.
