KSNDMC chalks out plan to counter surge in lightning strikes

Karnataka recorded 494 deaths due to lightning between 2017 and 2021 and has been categorised among the states that are most vulnerable to lightning strikes, pushing authorities to intensify mitigation efforts.

The efforts find greater context in the state as it prepares for a peak monsoon phase. Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has designed a multi-hazard public broadcast system to disseminate precautionary messages through public announcements that have been installed in 104 vulnerable Gram Panchayats, spread across the districts of Belagavi, Bagalkote and Raichur, outgoing KSNDMC director Manoj Rajan told DH.

KSNDMC has installed a network of 11 lightning detection sensor stations in the state and collects data on lightning and thunderstorms. Based on this data, the centre sends out early warnings and related advisories.

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With an average of 98 deaths per year from 2017 to 2021 (the number was 56 for 2012-2016), Karnataka stands fourth among states that have seen a surge in lightning strikes during 2021-2022, according to a report by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC). Karnataka stands seventh among the states that have witnessed the most lightning strikes in 2021-2022.

Rajan said the majority of deaths due to lightning occur in rural Karnataka. Among the districts witnessing the most number of deaths between 2011 and 2021 are Belagavi (85), Vijayapura (69), and Gadag (56).

KSDMA’s mobile application ‘Sidilu’ has been alerting users in areas prone to hazardous weather conditions including lightning and thunderstorms. Indicators define the user’s proximity to lightning occurrences in colours – red (0 km – 1 km), orange (1 km – 5 km) and yellow (5 km – 15 km).

Col Sanjay Srivastava, convener of the national lightning resilient campaign launched in 2019 said the Western Ghats (south-west Karnataka) is among regions with high lightning occurrences. Northern Karnataka also gets “intense lightning”, he said.

In India, the frequency of lightning is more during the months of June, July and September.

The country reported 58.8 lakh lightning strikes during 2021-2022, a drop of about 1.4 lakh strikes compared to the previous year.

The lightning resilient campaign was a collaborative initiative of CROPC and the India Meteorological Department featuring awareness programmes and
workshops.

Climate change hazard management cells were also set up in various states. Since the campaign commenced, the number of lightning-related human casualties in the country has reduced by 40%, Col Srivastava said.

He also noted that India adopted only 2% of the existing lightning arrester technology, a crucial pointer to the country’s approach to building lightning resilience.