Bhubaneswar: In an attempt to reduce deaths due to lightning strike, the state government is going to undertake massive plantation of palm trees along the vacant roadside patches and forest-bordering areas.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) D Swain has asked all regional chief conservator of forests and all divisional forest officers (T & WL) to plant palm or Borassus Flabellifer (botanical name) on boundaries of forests and plantation areas.
Earlier, palm planting was a traditional practice in villages but it has now been discontinued due to urbanization and development. Palm tree has a wide range of uses: fruits are eaten, stems used as valuable wood and leaves for thatching and for making baskets, mats, etc.
“Recently, it is also learnt to be helpful as a bulwark against casualties from lightning. As lightning usually hits the tallest object first, palm, one of the tallest trees, will work as lightning rod, decreasing the death toll from the lightning strikes,” Swain said in his letter.
Besides, he said, these trees also protect coastal areas from storms and cyclones. Their roots also act as flood protection against soil erosion.
The forest officials have been asked to ensure plantation of palm trees either by seed-sowing or by planting nursery-raised seedlings on various roadside lands, farm bunds, forest boundaries in coastal villages and on common lands.
According to reports from the Office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), 1,256 lightning deaths have occurred in Odisha in the last three years from 2015-16 to 2017-18. Most of these have occurred between May and September. Of the total number of deaths, 1,069 (about 85 percent) occurred during the five months. On an average, nearly 400 people died of lightning each year in the state. In 2015-16, the number of lightning deaths was 399, while the figure was 460 in 2017-18.
The total number of reported deaths due to different disasters in the last three years is 4,689 of which lightning casualties accounted for 27 per cent.
The Mayurbhanj district recorded the highest number at 130, followed by 95 in Balasore and 89 in both Ganjam and Keonjhar districts during this period.
Lightning was declared as a state-specific disaster from April 1, 2015. As per the revised norms, Rs 4 lakh per deceased is now being paid by the government as ex-gratia towards lightning victim’s families. Before 2015, ex-gratia had been paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or District Gratuitous Relief Fund.
