Odisha tops the list of states with maximum lightning fatalities

Tags: State News

According to a report compiled by the Climate Research and Services (CSR) of the Indian Meteorological Department, Odisha lost 213 human lives due to lightning strikes, the highest in the country in 2021 followed by Madhya Pradesh (156),Bihar (89), Maharashtra (76), West Bengal (58), Jharkhand (54), Uttar Pradesh (49) and Rajasthan (48).

• The majority of victims are rural (96%) which include farmers, women, and children. They have been found to be vulnerable because of working in the open. 
• There are 71 percent people who are struck by lightning due to standing under trees during rains, thunderstorms, or lightning.
• The regional Met office scientists pointed out that there are only two radars in Odisha - at Paradip and Gopalpur - and there is a dire need to install more such equipment in the state to issue area-specific lightning and thunderstorm warning.