Several Indian states have requested the Centre to declare lightning as a natural disaster. This is due to the fact that lightning strikes are responsible for a significant number of deaths in the country, far surpassing the number of deaths caused by other natural disasters.?
By declaring lightning as a natural disaster, the Indian government would be able to provide financial assistance to states affected by lightning strikes.?
This would help to ensure that states are able to respond effectively to lightning-related disasters and that the burden of such disasters is not disproportionately borne by poorer states.
According to a report by the Lightning Resilient India Campaign (LRIC), India may have experienced up to 18.5 million lightning strikes between April 2020 and March 2021.?
Every year, lightning kills over 2,500 people in India. Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are the states that have witnessed the most lightning strikes in recent years, according to a study by the Delhi-based RMSI.
The government has released statistics that show that lightning strikes have caused more than 100,000 deaths in India between 1967 and 2019, accounting for more than a third of deaths caused by natural disasters during this period.?
Lightning strikes are a significant cause of concern in India, with a high number of deaths and damage to property and infrastructure. This highlights the need for better preparedness, early warning systems, and improved response measures to minimize the impact of lightning strikes.
Currently, only certain types of disasters are covered under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is a fund set up to provide financial assistance to states in the event of a disaster.?
The types of disasters that are covered include cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, pest attacks, frost, and cold waves.?
The SDRF is funded by both the state and central governments, with the central government providing 75% of the funds.
However, lightning strikes are not currently covered under the SDRF, which means that states have to use their own resources to respond to lightning-related disasters. This can be a significant financial burden, especially for poorer states that may not have the resources to adequately respond to such disasters.
Lightning is a natural phenomenon characterized by an electrical discharge of high voltage and short duration that occurs between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud. It is accompanied by a bright flash, a loud sound, and sometimes thunderstorms.?
Cloud-to-ground lightning is dangerous because it can electrocute people due to its high electric voltage and current, while inter- or intra-cloud lightning is visible and safe.
The process of lightning is caused by a difference in electrical charge between the top and bottom of a cloud, which generates a massive electric current.?
Water vapor in the cloud condenses and rises, creating heat and pushing water molecules further up until they become ice crystals.
Collisions between the ice crystals trigger the release of electrons, leading to a chain reaction that results in a positively charged top layer and a negatively charged middle layer in the cloud.
When the difference in charge becomes large enough, a huge electric current flows between the layers, producing heat that causes the air column to expand and create shock waves that generate thunder sounds.?
Lightning is a natural phenomenon that can cause significant damage and loss of life, especially in areas with high incidence rates.