Lightning related Deaths

GS Paper III Disaster Management

Context:

According to the Minister of Earth Sciences, nearly 2,880 people died due to lightning strikes in various states of the country in 2021.

More about the news:

At least 2,800 people died every year from 2019-2022.
Madhya Pradesh (496) reported the greatest number of casualties in 2021, followed by Bihar (287).
Despite thousands of casualties, lightning is not a notified disaster listed under the National Disaster Response Fund.
The notified list of disasters eligible for National or State Disaster Response Fund assistance, includes 12 disasters:
- Cyclone, Drought, Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Tsunami, Hailstorm, Landslide, Avalanche, Cloud Burst, Pest Attack, Frost & Cold Wave

Mechanism of Lightning Strikes

11.2

Lightning is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.
Lightning discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall and the base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface.
Water vapour moves upward in the cloud and the water droplets fall down to Earth.
Collisions follow and trigger the release of electrons and as the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction happens.
This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged. In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
An enormous amount of heat is produced, which gives the air column a reddish appearance during lightning. As the heated air column expands, it produces shock waves that result in thunder.