At least 12 people were killed in lightning strikes in six districts of the country on Saturday (April 18). Of these, five died in Sunamganj, one in Kishoreganj, two in Rangpur, one in Netrokona, two in Mymensingh and one in Habiganj-all of whom were marginalized people.
The most tragic incident of lightning in Bangladesh in recent history occurred on the night of August 11, 2012. A lightning strike struck a mosque in Dharshapasha Upazila of Sunamganj, killing 13 people who were performing Tarawih prayers at the time. In fact, a large proportion of the people who die every year in lightning strikes are farmers, agricultural workers, and fishermen. They are said to be the lifeblood of the country's food security and economy. Yet, the lives of those people are being lost in a terrible way.
Sunamganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts are more vulnerable to this disaster as lightning strikes are more common in open areas like haors.
Until 2015, lightning was not on the government's disaster list. That is, lightning was not included in the list of losses and damages that the government makes every year in various natural and man-made disasters. However, in 2016, taking into account the loss of life and other losses, the government included lightning in the list of natural disasters. That means that 10 years have passed since lightning was declared a disaster. But it is time to raise the question of what are the government's initiatives to save people's lives from this disaster and whether the number of deaths due to lightning has decreased at all as a result of those initiatives.
According to media reports, one of those killed in the lightning strike on Saturday was farmer Altu Mia. On the day of the incident, at around 8 am, he went to cut grass for his cows in a field near his house. At around 10:30 am, the sky became cloudy and suddenly rain and thunder started. But even after the thunder started, he did not get a chance to go to a safe shelter. At around 11 am, his brother Nazrul Islam went to the field and found Altu Mia lying unconscious. He was quickly taken to the Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor declared him dead. Incidents of death due to lightning are generally similar. However, although no conclusion has yet been reached about the cause of the increase in lightning, many scientists believe that the number of lightning strikes is increasing as global warming increases. If so, then we must also raise the question of whether such a loss of life due to lightning is a man-made disaster? Because climate change is now called a man-made disaster due to the increase in global warming. Since the overall temperature of the world is increasing due to over-industrialization, urbanization, and consumerism, as well as the increase in carbon dioxide gas emissions in the air, and as an inevitable consequence, the melting of polar ice is increasing and raising sea levels, scientists are increasingly convinced that climate change is caused by humans. Therefore, if the relationship between the increase in lightning strikes and the increase in global warming is proven, then it must be said that humans must take responsibility for the increase in human deaths in this disaster every year. Especially the industrialized countries that are mainly responsible for the consequences of climate change.
Until 2016, the government did not keep a list of deaths due to lightning. As a result, there are no official statistics on how many people died due to lightning until 2016 after the formation of the Bangladesh state. Since lightning was included as a disaster in 2016, an annual statistic is now available. However, government and private organizations compile statistics on deaths due to lightning mainly based on news published in the media. As a result, the possibility of deaths that are not reported in the statistics is reduced. Many people injured in lightning later die while undergoing treatment in hospitals, and many die from mental trauma even after returning from treatment. These deaths are also not included in the statistics. That means that, with some exceptions, only immediate deaths due to lightning are included in the statistics. As a result, it is difficult to know the exact number of people who actually die due to lightning every year in the country and how many people have lost their lives in such disasters in the past decade.
Incidentally, on April 24, 2018, the country's meteorological department recorded 36,749 lightning strikes in 13 hours in Andhra Pradesh in southern India. The country's disaster management authority described such unusual behavior of lightning as a weather extreme.
Some scientists say that the risk of lightning strikes is higher in areas where temperatures are higher than normal during the summer, due to the clouds that form in those areas. Some researchers say that the risk of lightning strikes increases by at least 10 percent for every one degree increase in temperature.
The defunct SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) had been conducting research on lightning since 2009. According to the observations of researchers at this centre, Bangladesh is at the highest risk of lightning strikes and fatalities among the SAARC countries. The death rate from lightning is also higher here than in other SAARC countries. A report published in 2010 by the 'National Lightning Safety Institute of the United States' said that one-fourth of the deaths from lightning strikes worldwide each year occur in Bangladesh.
The question is, is there no way to prevent this death? Of course there is. Death can be avoided by not being outside during a lightning strike. But lightning is not called a thunderstorm. Lightning, like a cyclone, never gives advance warning. However, in this season, especially in April-May, whenever the sky turns black and the appearance of the sky and the speed of the wind increase rapidly, it is possible to prevent death by lightning if you immediately run from the open field to a safe shelter. Although lightning can also strike indoors. But the number is very small. That is why it is said that if there is an earthing system in a tin house or building, lightning will not strike that house. When the thunder starts, it is advised not to stand under tall trees even if it is outside and if it is in water, it is recommended to quickly get to the shore. Again, even if you are indoors, experts also advise not to touch anything made of metal during a lightning strike.
It is said that deaths due to lightning are increasing due to the decrease in the number of tall trees in villages and cities. Because tall trees do not allow lightning to reach the ground. That is why many people are now talking about planting more palm trees across the country. The government is also encouraging palm tree planting. But there is a good omen here. Because it takes 15-20 years for a palm tree to grow. How can we prevent death during that period? Again, the news of the looting that has taken place in the name of planting palm trees in the coastal areas is not unknown to the countrymen. But even 20 years ago, if 120 lakh palm trees could have been planted across the country and the old palm trees had not been cut down, then people would have received some of its benefits now. But the problem is, the first step in any development in Bangladesh is on the trees. Experts suggest another solution to prevent deaths from lightning strikes. That is, building tall towers in rural areas so that lightning cannot reach the ground. Earthing systems can be made mandatory in all homes and initiatives can be taken to provide earthing systems, such as providing government sanitary latrines to poor people if needed.
However, since most deaths from lightning occur outdoors, especially in crop fields, open spaces of haors, in beels and rivers, farmers, fishermen and daily wage earners working in fields and ghats during April-May should be a little more vigilant. If you see bad weather, you should quickly move to a safe shelter. The government needs to conduct a wide-ranging campaign on this issue. Local government institutions can take up awareness programs in this regard or the existing programs should be strengthened.
Scientists say that about 40-50 different types of lightning occur every second on Earth, of which 25 percent strike from clouds to the ground. In most cases, lightning strikes occur from cloud to cloud, which is not visible to us. Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are the second most common type, often causing extensive damage to life and property.
Scientists have become enthusiastic about capturing the huge amount of electrical energy generated from lightning and using it for various purposes and are conducting various types of research to implement it. In the future, this electricity from lightning will be useful for human welfare. But before that, we must prevent and prevent these painful deaths of farmers and fishermen, the lifeblood of our agriculture and economy, and the marginalized people who lose their lives every year due to lightning strikes.
Author: Journalist and writer.
