Madhya Pradesh emerges as India’s lightning hotspot with a record 987,095 lightning flashes and 340 deaths per year, according to the latest lightning report. The report highlights over 20 million lightning strikes nationwide in 2022-23, a 60% increase from 2019-20. The Lightning Resilient India Campaign, a collaboration between CROPC and IMD, extends early warnings and knowledge to stakeholders. Reductions in fatalities are seen in some states, but challenges persist in MP, UP, and Bihar. Heritage sites and animals also face lightning risks. The report emphasizes action plans, early warnings, protection mechanisms, and self-reliance in lightning instrumentation.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Lightning Resilient India Campaign: A collaborative effort between CROPC and IMD, aiming to provide early warning services and knowledge dissemination related to lightning risks, contributing to reduced fatalities and enhanced lightning risk management.
- Cloud-to-Ground Lightning: A type of lightning discharge that occurs between a cloud and the ground, often resulting in electrical discharge and potential harm to living beings and structures.
- Micro Zonation: The process of dividing a geographical area into smaller zones based on specific characteristics or features, such as patterns of lightning strikes in this context.
- Atmospheric Electricity: The study of electrical phenomena occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere, including lightning, thunderstorms, and other electrical discharges that result from the interaction between air molecules and charged particles.
