Odisha tops list of states with maximum lightning strikes for 2nd year

Published on: Jul 12, 2021, 23:38:50 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha again topped the list of states hit by lightning bolts for the second year in a row but managed to bring down the number of associated fatalities, the second annual lightning report compiled by a research organisation under Indian Meteorological Department has revealed.

As per the report, a joint initiative of the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council, the India Meteorological Department, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and the India Meteorological Society, Odisha saw 20.43 lakh lightning strikes between April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.

The lightning strikes were up by 37 per cent from 14.8 lakh strikes in 2019-20. Over 40 per cent of lightning strikes in Odisha are cloud to the ground the highest in the country along with Gujarat.

The rise in fatalities due to an increase in frequency and intensity of lightning strikes prompted the IMD to start lightning forecasts from April 1, 2019.

Despite an increase in the lightning strikes, Odisha managed to bring down the associated death toll to 156 from 207 a year ago.

As per the Annual Lightning Report 2020-21, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are the only two states in the country that have pruned the lightning deaths by a whopping 70 per cent between 2016-2020.

At least 1,697 people died due to lightning between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Of this, 401 died in Bihar, followed by Uttar Pradesh (238 deaths) and Madhya Pradesh (228 deaths).

According to a pre-print accepted for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics recently, the frequency and intensity of lightning strikes in India are expected to increase by 10-25 per cent and 15-50 per cent by the end of this century. Coastal areas may be at the highest risk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More