Nayagarh: Lightning has turned out to be a major killer as it has claimed over 27 lives in the last four years in this district which is surrounded by hills and forest, a report said.
Lightning strikes have not only claimed precious human lives but also endangered the livestock. Dasapalla tops the chart in the number of deaths among the eight blocks in the district.
Among the deceased, many of them were young. Many others had been rendered critical. Experts said that only awareness could prevent casualties during the lightning strikes.
According to reports available from the district emergency cell, lightning mostly occurs in April, May and June and has claimed 27 lives in the last four years.
Reports said that a farmer Santosh Kumar Pradhan was killed in a lightning strike on his farmland at Gobindpur village under Nayagarh block July 26, 2018.
Similarly, farmer Daya Dihudi was killed when he was returning from his farmland in Khalamada village under Nuagaon block, September 6, 2018.
Recently, cowherd Niranjan Dixit (27) was rendered critical when lightning struck him at Baunsiapada village under Nayagarh block two days back. Nine persons died in 2016, seven in 2017, nine in 2018 and two in 2019 so far.
Two days back, three cattle head, including a bull and two cows were killed after lightning struck them at a mango orchard in Champapedi village under Ranpur block. Reports claimed that over 300 domestic animals have been killed in the last four years.
Environmentalists said that the disaster management department should conduct awareness programmes at regular intervals to sensitise the people.
When contacted, chief district medical officer (CDMO) Sweta Kumar Mohapatra said if a person gets struck by lightning then s/he should be immediately rushed to the hospital as timely intervention could help the doctors save his/her life.
Besides, if a person dies in lightning, then the body must be brought to the hospital so that the kin of the deceased could receive financial assistance from the state government after post-mortem and submission of probe report.
Moreover, a person should treat the SMS alerts on lightning on his mobile phone seriously and stop going out during thunderstorm or inclement weather, he added.
PNN