Odisha recorded a staggering 5,721 lightning deaths in an 18-year period, with an average of 318 lightning deaths every year and more than 10 deaths every day, found a new study by researchers from two state-run universities.
Lightning accounts for nearly 2,800 to 3,500 deaths in India every year, with Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh contributing nearly 75 per cent of total national fatalities.
The latest study by researchers from Utkal University and Fakir Mohan University, who analysed district-level lightning mortality across the state from 2005-06 to 2022-23, revealed that 12 out of 30 districts reported higher annual raw fatality counts than the state average of 11 deaths.
Fatalities rose steadily from 204 in 2006-07, reaching a peak of 465 deaths in 2017-18, before declining in the subsequent years. Fatalities fell to 332 in 2018-19, 351 in 2019-20, 291 in 2020-21 and 281 in 2021-22. Overall, nine years during the study period recorded deaths above the state-wide annual average of 318.
Mineral-bearing districts like Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Kendujhar and Jajpur recorded comparatively high fatality levels, possibly due to their combined exposure and environmental conditions. Mayurbhanj recorded the highest annual average of 32 deaths, followed by 21 in Kendujhar, 19 in Sundargarh and 13 in Jajpur.
Stating that higher lightning deaths in mineral-rich districts do not necessarily mean that iron-ore deposits themselves attract lightning, Manoranjan Mishra, a professor at FM University, said mining areas often have large open landscapes, exposed hilltops, elevated mining structures, heavy machinery, power lines and fewer natural shelters.
“Mining and associated industrial activities can alter the local terrain and land surface, potentially influencing how thunderstorms interact with the landscape. Iron ore may not be a lightning magnet, but Odisha’s mineral landscapes may create a unique combination of terrain, atmospheric exposure and human vulnerability that contributes to higher lightning mortality,” he said.
One of the most important findings is the strong relationship between population density and lightning death density. At the district level, the researchers found a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.825 (which measures the strength of a linear relationship between two continuous variables), indicating that more densely populated districts tend to record comparatively higher lightning mortality.
The study analysed the lightning patterns in the context of Odisha’s geographical and socio-economic vulnerability. It found that the state’s coastal location, monsoonal circulation, cyclonic activity over the Bay of Bengal and high convective energy also contribute to its exposure to thunderstorms and lightning.
“Lightning activity is particularly associated with the pre-monsoon period from March to May and the monsoon period from June to September. Coastal districts like Baleshwar, Kataka and Ganjam also report high lightning deaths as a substantial population works outdoors in agriculture, fishing and daily-wage occupations, increasing the likelihood of exposure during thunderstorms,” said Shreerup Goswami, a professor of geology at Utkal University.
Based on the observed decline in lightning fatalities after 2018, the researchers have recommended district-specific mitigation strategies, particularly in areas with high observed mortality and population density.
They said community-level awareness and education, lightning-safe shelters, improved medical facilities, better road infrastructure and greater financial accessibility for affected communities could reduce fatalities. The researchers also called for a comprehensive spatiotemporal database of lightning fatalities so that future interventions can be based on more detailed and reliable information.
Despite advances in lightning detection and early-warning systems, Mishra said, lightning fatalities continue to occur because a warning does not automatically produce safe behaviour. The state has to move from only “forecasting lightning” to “changing behaviour before the strike”, he pointed out.
“Most lightning discharges occur within or between clouds, while only a smaller proportion reach the ground. A warning system based only on observed lightning strikes may have a time lag between detection and the moment a person receives and acts upon the warning. Odisha’s strategy should not be based on technology alone. It should combine improved forecasting, rapid dissemination and behavioural change,” Mishra added.
