The Yogi government has decided to establish a lightning detection sensor network and early warning systems to minimise deaths due to lightning in the state.

Under this initiative, 50 new Lighting Detection Sensors will be installed across the state in addition to 5,000 early warning systems to send real-time lightning alerts to the people.

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Additionally, the state government is also conducting awareness-cum-training programmes for lightning resilience.

Relief Commissioner GS Navin Kumar informed here on Tuesday that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had given necessary guidelines to minimise casualties due to lightning in the state at a high-level meeting held recently.

In line with his directive, a survey was conducted which underscored the necessity of setting up a network of 50 new lightning detection sensors across the state and installation of early warning systems in sensitive areas.

The Chief Minister has already approved the proposal to carry out the exercise. As part of the decision, the establishment of the lightning detection sensor network will be carried out in three phases across the state.

In the first phase, 37 districts will be covered followed by 20 districts in the second phase, and 19 districts in the third phase. The network will be set up with technical support from the Meteorological Department.

It is noteworthy that a survey was conducted to reduce casualties from lightning. The exercise revealed the insufficiency of the lightning detection sensors installed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the Meteorological Department for accurate predictions.

As a part of the scheme, a pilot project has been implemented in the Dudhi block of the Sonbhadra district which is most affected by lightning. Subsequently, an early warning system was installed there. It was learnt that to achieve accurate prediction of lightning strikes throughout the state, it is essential to establish a lightning detection sensor network and early warning systems.

The survey has identified 5,000 sensitive locations across all 75 districts of the state, where the installation of early warning systems, including alerts for lightning and other disasters, is deemed necessary. Consequently, the decision has been made to install early warning systems at all the 5,000 identified sensitive locations in the state.

Based on the survey findings, a web-based Integrated Early Warning System has been developed in collaboration with the Relief Commissioner’s office and the Meteorological Department. This system sends alert calls one hour before lightning strikes to 2.15 crore gross route workers and community members. This has led to a substantial decrease in casualties.

On the instructions of CM Yogi, the Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority is implementing the “Lightning Safety Awareness Programme” to reduce casualties caused by natural disasters in the state.

This initiative is being executed in the severely affected and sensitive districts of Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, and Lalitpur. Block-level workshops are being organised in all 51 development blocks in these districts, alongside village-level workshops in all the gram panchayats.

Awareness programmes on lightning safety are also being conducted in all the Gram Panchayats in these districts through microphones. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in lightning-related casualties in the state with Lalitpur recording a 25 per cent drop in deaths, Prayagraj 52 per cent, and Sonbhadra 30 per cent in 2023-24 in comparison to 2021-22 figures.