Bhubaneswar: As many 1418 people have lost their lives in lightning strikes in the past five years in the State, Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed the Assembly today.
Replying to a question of BJP legislator Tankadhar Tripathy, the Revenue Minister said that 1418 people died in lightning strikes during the financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25.
Lightning claimed the lives of 339 persons in Odisha during 2020-21 while 296 people died in lightning during 2021-22. Similarly, Odisha reported 306 lightning deaths in the fiscal 2022-23 while 272 and 205 such deaths were reported in the next two financial years, respectively, he said.
Mayurbhanj district registered the maximum 134 lightning deaths, followed by Balasore (110), Ganjam (104) and Keonjhar (100) in the last five years. During the period, lowest 11 lightning deaths were reported in Boudh district, Pujari said.
To protect lives from lightning strikes, the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has prepared an action plan in the financial year 2023-24 and it was implemented during 2024-25, he said.
Provision of Rs 7.59 crore has been sanctioned to the forest department to plant 23 lakh palm trees, he informed.
So far, 19 lakh palm trees have been planted in 51 forest divisions of the State, the Minister added.
Palm trees act as natural conductors during lightning strikes and prevent loss of lives. That’s why the government resorts to palm tree plantation in the vulnerable areas, sources said.
Notably, the state government had declared lightning as a state-specific disaster in June 2015. As per state disaster response fund guidelines, an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each has been paid to the next of kin of those killed in lightning strikes.