Form expert panel to tackle lightning deaths: HC

The High Court yesterday ordered the government to form an expert committee with the persons having necessary technical knowledge to prevent loss of lives from lightning strikes and to submit a progress report on this issue before it in six months.

The court also issued a rule asking the government to explain why they should not be directed to take necessary steps to prevent loss of lives in lightning strikes.

The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi issued the order and rule following a petition filed by rights organisation Law and Life Foundation Trust and a Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mohammed Kawser on May 13.

Barrister Mohammad Humaun Kabir Pallob appeared for the writ petitioner.

The writ petitioners stated in the petition that the rural people, especially farmers and fishermen, are most affected by lightning strikes.

According to a survey, 122 out of 177 people killed by lightning are farmers. Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Gaibandha are the most lightning prone areas of the country.

The number of people killed by lightning strikes is now higher than the number killed in other natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides. Vast tracts of land, open fields and playgrounds in rural areas have now become the centre of lightning. Although the government has declared lightning a natural disaster since 2016, there is no effective step taken so far to control the number of casualties due to lightning, they said in the petition.