Bhubaneswar: In a new push to ensure precautionary measures against lightning hits, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) would use SMS services to alert people about the natural disaster.
“Every year, over 400 people are killed in lightning strikes in the state. We are taking steps to reduce this number which is now on the ascendant. We are focusing on how to issue early-hour warnings about lightning strikes,” said state chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
He said, “As per research, possibility of lightning increases by 20-25 per cent with every two per cent increase in atmospheric temperature. As the climate is changing, lightning incident will be more in future.”
In 2017-18 fiscal, 456 persons were killed in lightning strikes. This was 15 per cent more than the figure the previous year. “We can’t limit the lightning incidents, but we are committed to saving lives by issuing advance warnings,” the special relief commissioner (SRC) office said.
“We have called in an international organisation by name Earth Network to do the SMS services and alert the people. They have worked in more than 90 nations. We’re trying our level best to minimize the loss caused by lightning in Odisha,” the SRC stated.
The Pulse Rad technology would be used to alert people. Censors would be fixed in various locations to receive signals from the Rad. Predictions would be disseminated through SMS, Mobile Apps, radio and TV. The system would also be helpful in prediction of hail winds, hail storms, dangerous thunderstorms, flood and drought.
Earth Network official Kumar Margasahayam said, “Basically what we do is we have ground sensors that collect data. We are working in ways as to detect lightning. We are now using this technology in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We’re able to send early warning for any sort of severe weather including lightning, through mobile apps or SMS services or other media sources like TV channel and FM radio.”