Preventing deaths caused by lightning
THE number of deaths caused by lightning strikes continues to increase at an alarming pace. According to a leading Bengali daily, lightning claimed 112 lives in the last 10 days, with 23 killed just on Wednesday. Lightning strikes have become one of the deadliest natural calamities in our country, with hundreds of lives lost each year.
Experts attribute the rising deaths to environmental degradation caused by continuous deforestation. Had we focused on conserving forests and tall trees, perhaps many people would have been alive today.
It may be mentioned that districts adjacent to the haor regions are particularly prone to lightning strikes. The government has taken an initiative to plant one million plum trees across the haor areas. It is commendable, but these trees will take time to grow tall enough to absorb lightning. Moreover, experts suggest long towers be built, because trees will die once they absorb a strike. The government should heed their advice.
The government should launch a countrywide awareness campaign to convince people not to be under the open sky during thunderstorms. In addition, people should be encouraged to install lightning rods in their houses, which could reduce potential damage.
However, the key to building a sustainable defence against nature's wrath lies in preventive measures such as stopping deforestation and environmental degradation. Rather than build a new defence, it would be wiser for us to not destroy the existing natural ones. Preventive measures are where our focus, efforts and resources should be expended in.
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