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Anyone caught in the open during a spell of rain would be likely to seek shelter under a tree. That's what a group of young men who had met for a cricket game did in Jharkhand’s Simdega district in August.
But tragedy befell the group when lightning struck the tree, killing three. None of those present that day were aware that National Disaster Management Authority guidelines advise against taking shelter under trees during rains, precisely because they are prone to being struck by lightning.
As Nolina Minj found, lightning causes more deaths in India than any other natural phenomenon, including floods, landslides and heatwaves. In several states, particularly in central and eastern India, frequent thunderstorms and a high incidence of lightning, combined with a lack of awareness of protective measures, kills hundreds of people every year. But the central government has not formally declared lightning strikes a natural disaster. And while some states have done so, and put policies in place to spread information about the risks and provide compensation to those who are affected, on the ground, implementation is slow.
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Ajay Krishnan
Senior Editor
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