Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has launched an initiative to plant at least 20 lakh palm trees to mitigate the damage from lightning strikes. The forest and agriculture departments are joining forces to plant these trees across various regions. A decrease in palm trees has been linked to a rise in lightning strikes throughout the state.
In a statement to news agency ANI, Suresh Pujari, the Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, stated that “Day by day, lightning-related fatalities are on the rise, and Odisha records one of the highest mortality rates from lightning strikes in India. Lightning has claimed at least 300 lives in Odisha.”
Minister Pujari also mentioned that the campaign to plant approximately 20 lakh palm trees is already underway. “To address this issue, we’ve embarked on a mission to plant palm trees statewide, as they are excellent conductors. The forest department is spearheading this mission to plant about 20 lakh palm trees,” he added.
Minister Pujari emphasized that the ultimate aim is to achieve zero casualties in Odisha from lightning strikes. He elaborated, “We are also focusing on schools lacking proper earthing, which has resulted in fatalities from lightning. Our main concern is the vulnerable areas with frequent lightning, where we plan to plant about 20 lakh palm trees this year. Our paramount goal is to attain zero deaths in Odisha due to lightning strikes.”
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