Bhubaneswar: The International Conference on Thunderstorm and Lightning in Tropics (ICTLT), has recommended establishment of a Lightning and Thunderstorm Center in Odisha as the state accounts for about one-fourth of the lightning deaths in the country.
The Lightning and Thunderstorm centre should be set up through joint collaboration of the Union Ministry of Earth Science and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), as per a set of recommendations issued following the three-day conference.
The conference was jointly organised by the Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of the SOA Deemed to be University and OSDMA from January 17 to 19 last. Around 200 scientists, researchers, meteorologists and experts attended the meet.
CEC in a statement said that the recommendations were aimed at taking action to prevent casualties and damage to property due to thunderstorm and lightning, a frequent occurrence in the state.
The conference also recommended the setting up of a State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre in Odisha on the lines of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre and Sri Lanka’s Storm Monitoring Centre.
The experts, who deliberated on the issues for three days, felt that there was a need for developing the early warning system for people residing in thunderstorm and lightning hot spots by using mobile network, media and siren.
Pointing out that school children should be sensitized about the danger of thunderstorm and lightning, the conference said all school bags and the back page of text books should carry a list of ‘dos and don’ts’ when caught in such weather situation to spread awareness.
Beside, trained teachers and citizens in different blocks could be trained to report thunderstorm and lightning activities in their area through communication network so that guidelines on precautions could be issued to the public through them, it said.
Efforts should also be made to sensitise the media and NGOs on thunderstorm and lightning through interactive workshops regularly before the onset of the thunderstorm season, the recommendations said.