Lightning strikes in Odisha: Do palm trees really protect against lightning strikes?
Odisha is one of India's worst-affected states by lightning strikes during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods. On 2nd July 2024, the state announced restrictions on cutting existing palm trees and plans to plant around 1.9 million new ones. The initiative is based on the idea that palm trees can act as natural conductors during lightning strikes, potentially diverting the charge away from people and structures.
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The Annual Lightning Report 2021-22 reveals that 96% of lightning victims come from rural areas, including farmers, cattle grazers, fishermen, jungle hunters, and labourers in open fields. According to NITI Aayog, as of 2014, 76% of Odisha's 4.37 crore population is involved in agriculture, including horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, and related activities. Hence, it becomes essential to implement preventive measures against lightning strikes. But, the question presents itself: is planting palm trees effective?
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The Odisha government's proactive stance on lightning deaths is commendable, but the palm tree solution has met with scepticism from lightning research and disaster management experts. In 2018, the government issued advisories about palm tree planting, but they didn't yield significant results. Professor Manoranjan Mishra from the Department of Geography at Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, raises several concerns. He has researched lightning in India, especially in Odisha.
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The lightning crisis in Odisha is complex and requires a comprehensive, data-driven, and scientifically grounded strategy. Professor Mishra says, "We have to change our ethics. Efforts aren't working. We can't just put money into forecasting or in these agencies and expect a solution. We need to explore alternatives with success stories from other countries."
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