Thunderstorm research testbed
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that Odisha’s Balasore will be the first in the country to have the thunderstorm research testbed.
What is the need of a thunderstorm research testbed?
The main objective behind setting up the thunderstorm research testbed is to minimalise the human fatalities which keep taking place due to the lightning strikes.
IMD director-general Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated during a chat with a private television channel that a first-of-its-kind monsoon testbed is also being planned near Bhopal.
He said both the projects are still in the planning stage and the detailed reports of the project are being made.
He also stated that the thunderstorm testbed shall be established along with the collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
“The IMD, ISRO and DRDO already have their units in Balasore. Observatories will be set up to cater to nearby areas and studies on thunderstorms will be conducted on the testbed,” he said.
What does the reports suggest about lightning deaths in India?
Dr. Mohapatra, who is often referred as the “Cyclone Man of India”, as his predictions on cyclones are always accurate. He pointed it out that many lives are lost in Odisha, Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand due to the lightning strikes that occur every year between April and June.
According to the reports, more than 350 people lose their lives due to the lightning strikes in Odisha that occur every year. The state has lost almost 3,218 lives in the nine-year span till 2019-20. It is really very saddening to see families lose their loved ones to lightnings.
It should be appreciated that some initiatives are being taken to reduce or we can say minimalise the deaths caused due to lightning. This would surely be a great relief to thousands of people out there who suffer and are not able to do anything.
Also Read: Odisha declared the sixth costliest state, Balasore, the costliest city
Written by: Shrestha Ghosh
