Bhubaneswar: Lightning strikes have resulted in 1,625 fatalities within the state over the last five years, informed Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, in response to BJP legislator Tankadhar Tripathy’s query.
Minister Pujari commended Tripathy for addressing a significant concern that affects all regions of the state. Pujari revealed that the state experienced the highest number of lightning-related deaths in the nation during this timeframe. He noted that states with abundant mineral resources tend to have higher incidences of lightning fatalities due to the conductivity of minerals.
According to the minister’s written statement to the assembly, from 2019-20 to 2023-24, lightning strikes claimed the lives of 1,625 individuals across the state. The fatalities for the fiscal year 2019-20 stood at 372, with 338 deaths in 2020-21 and 294 in 2021-22.
The state recorded 334 lightning fatalities in 2022-23 and 287 in 2023-24, as per Minister Pujari’s written communication.
These incidents were reported across all 30 districts of Odisha, with the highest number of 151 deaths in the tribal-majority district of Mayurbhanj, followed by 114 in Ganjam district. Keonjhar and Balasore district each accounted for 111 fatalities over the five years while the least affected was Boudh district, with 14 deaths, he mentioned.
Minister Pujari also informed the assembly that the Odisha government recognized lightning as a state-specific disaster in April 2015, as it has not been classified as a natural disaster by the Government of India. The state government has been offering assistance to those affected by lightning strikes since this declaration.
