{"id":55832,"date":"2025-10-03T21:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T15:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=55832"},"modified":"2025-10-04T14:57:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T09:27:55","slug":"ncrb-2023-lightning-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-10-2025\/ncrb-2023-lightning-strikes","title":{"rendered":"Lightning Strikes Took Over 2,500 Lives in 2023: NCRB Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Disaster Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report <strong>Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India<\/strong>, lightning was responsible for the highest number of deaths in 2023, accounting for 39.7% of the 6,444 deaths attributed to \u2018forces of nature\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the last few years, lightning has emerged as a new climate challenge for India, which has seen a <strong>400 per cent rise<\/strong> in lightning strikes from 2019-20 to 2024-25.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under lightning strikes, <strong>Madhya Pradesh (397), Bihar (345), Odisha (294), Uttar Pradesh (287), and Jharkhand (194)<\/strong> were the biggest victim states\/Union Territories (UTs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-04-2021\/disaster-management-act-2005\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-04-2021\/disaster-management-act-2005\">Disaster Management Act, 2005<\/a> <\/strong>defines &#8220;disaster&#8221; broadly but does not specifically list lightning as a centrally notified disaster.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The union government has resisted demands to classify it as a disaster, arguing that most deaths could be prevented through public awareness and safety measures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>State\/UT wise deaths due to forces of nature during 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f3efe4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"568\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Lightning-Strikes-Took-Over-2500-Lives-in-2023-NCRB-Data.webp\" alt=\"State\/UT wise deaths due to forces of nature during 2023\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-55887\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f3efe4; width:434px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Lightning-Strikes-Took-Over-2500-Lives-in-2023-NCRB-Data.webp 602w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Lightning-Strikes-Took-Over-2500-Lives-in-2023-NCRB-Data-300x283.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is lightning?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lightning is an <strong>electrical discharge between charged particles<\/strong> in a cloud and the ground.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Although air normally acts as an electrical insulator, when the voltage reaches about <strong>3 million volts per meter (V\/m)<\/strong>, the air&#8217;s insulating properties break down, allowing a powerful electric current to pass through.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This results in a sudden release of energy, creating a bright flash and an associated sound wave (thunder).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c5d0d5\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c5d0d5;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/how-lighting-develops-pic.webp\" alt=\"how-lighting-develops\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-55886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/how-lighting-develops-pic.webp 600w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/how-lighting-develops-pic-300x144.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Factors Responsible for Increased Incidents of Lightning in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Geographic and Climatic Conditions:<\/strong> Regions with high humidity, such as the eastern states and coastal areas, are more prone to thunderstorms and lightning.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The topography, including the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, also influences the frequency of lightning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monsoon Dynamics: <\/strong>The monsoon season, with its intense rainfall and convective activity, is a major driver of lightning in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The convergence of moist air masses and the rising of warm, moist air during the monsoon season often lead to the formation of thunderstorms and lightning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urbanization and Industrialization: <\/strong>Rapid urbanization and industrialization increase the number of artificial heat sources and aerosols in the atmosphere.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These enhance convection and contribute to more frequent thunderstorms, thus increasing lightning incidents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Studies suggest that with every <strong>1\u00b0C rise<\/strong> in temperature, there is an <strong>8-10 percent rise<\/strong> in lightning strikes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate Change:<\/strong> Changes in global climate patterns are influencing local weather phenomena.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increased temperatures and changes in humidity levels alter storm dynamics, potentially leading to more frequent and intense lightning events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Agricultural Practices:<\/strong> The burning of agricultural residues and deforestation can contribute to the accumulation of particulates in the atmosphere.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&nbsp;These particulates affect cloud formation and increase the likelihood of thunderstorms and lightning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CROPC (Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council)<\/strong> has developed India\u2019s first Lightning Early Warning System, aimed at predicting lightning strikes and issuing alerts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The mobile app <strong>SACHET<\/strong> was launched to alert the public about imminent lightning hazards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>2020<\/strong>, <strong>Damini<\/strong> Lightning apps were developed by <strong>Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)-Pune.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strengthening communication systems<\/strong> to ensure warnings reach vulnerable populations effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Training local authorities <\/strong>to act swiftly upon early warnings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increasing public awareness<\/strong> about lightning safety measures, especially during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improving ground-level implementation<\/strong> of NDMA protocols to minimize fatalities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/natural-disasters\/lightning-strikes-took-over-2500-lives-in-2023-ncrb-data\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>DTE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, lightning was responsible for the highest number of deaths in 2023, accounting for 39.7% of the 6,444 deaths attributed to \u2018forces of nature\u2019.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>About<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">In the last few years, lightning has emerged as a new climate challenge for India, which has seen a 400 per cent rise in lightning strikes from 2019-20 to 2024-25.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Under lightning strikes, Madhya Pradesh (397), Bihar (345), Odisha (294), Uttar Pradesh (287), and Jharkhand (194) were the biggest victim states\/Union Territories (UTs).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines &#8220;disaster&#8221; broadly but does not specifically list lightning as a centrally notified disaster.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The union government has resisted demands to classify it as a disaster, arguing that most deaths could be prevented through public awareness and safety measures.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-10-2025\/ncrb-2023-lightning-strikes\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":55859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ncrb-2023-lightning-strikes.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55832"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55959,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55832\/revisions\/55959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}