Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi told the Odisha Assembly on Friday that 970 are killed and 50 injured in lightning strikes in past three years.
Marandi said Mayurbhanj witnessed the highest number of death with a total of 98 in the last three years and added that Gajapati has registered the least number of causalities of six.
The Minister said an MoU was signed by the government with an international organisation Earth Networks to predict lightning and the Earth Networks has established Lightning Detection Sensors in eight districts of the state.
The Minister said the sensors are capable of detecting the lightning strikes between 200-250 kms and the State Emergency Operation Center gets information about the strike before 30-40 minutes. The Location Based Alert System (LBAS) through an SMS is at place to make people aware of the occurrence.
The Minister informed the House that the mobile App ‘Satark’ will be of great help to warn people 30-40 minutes before occurrence of lightning. The App has been made by the officials of State Disaster Management Authority with the help of a global organisation Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES).
