Odisha Government To Launch Mobile App For Advance Information on Lightning

Odisha Government To Launch Mobile App For Advance Information on Lightning- Details, Features, Purpose, Background

The Odisha government has now decided to introduce a special mobile application to provide advance information on lightning which has claimed at least 61 lives between April and May 2018.

The new mobile application will be developed to alert smartphone users if they are in a lightning zone. The people using smart phones will get information regarding possible lightning in their areas at least one hour ahead of the calamity.

This initiative of Odisha government would enable them to move to safer places and save their lives. The aim of the initiative is to reduce death toll due to lightning.

The mobile application will run on both Android and iOS operating systems. The smartphone users will receive alerts at least 45 minutes before lightning strikes in their areas, normal cell phone users will receive SMS alerts

Background

As per the statistical report, lightning has claimed 2,923 lives between 2010-11 and 2017-18. With an average of around 400 deaths a year, as many as 1,256 people have died of nature’s fury in the last three years. While Mayurbhanj has recorded 310 deaths, highest lightning casualties in the last eight years, followed by Keonjhar 196, Ganjam 187, Sundargarh 176, Balasore 159 and Cuttack 158, Boudh has registered lowest 17 deaths.

Most of the lightning deaths have occurred between May and September as the data shows about 85 percent deaths have been reported during the five months