Bhubaneswar: Odisha will prepare a comprehensive roadmap for lightning safety for 2027-2030, focusing on improved forecasting, early warning dissemination, public awareness and emergency response, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Thursday.
Inaugurating a two-day National Workshop on Lightning Safety organised by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) here, Pujari said lightning had emerged as a major disaster due to its impact and the extent of damage caused. He expressed confidence that the workshop would strengthen the state’s capacity to reduce lightning-related casualties and losses.
The workshop, being held on October 15 and 16, will bring together scientific institutions, researchers, disaster management agencies and administrative officials to explore effective measures for mitigating lightning risks.
The deliberations will focus on preparing a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for lightning safety and an action plan for 2027. A key outcome will be the proposed ‘Lightning-Safe Odisha: Action Plan 2027 and Roadmap 2027-2030’.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, who attended the inaugural session as guest of honour, stressed the need to improve lightning detection, monitoring and forecasting by integrating satellite data, numerical weather prediction, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and panchayat-level decision-support systems.
OSDMA Managing Director Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said the workshop aimed to strengthen lightning forecasting, risk assessment, early warning dissemination and public safety measures. He emphasised translating scientific advances into practical interventions to protect vulnerable groups, including farmers, agricultural labourers, outdoor workers and students.
The technical sessions will examine ways to improve forecast accuracy, extend early warning lead time and strengthen the use of scientific data in local-level decision-making. The discussions are also expected to improve coordination between scientific institutions and administrative agencies.
Representatives from several national scientific and academic institutions, including the IMD, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, National Remote Sensing Centre, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and IIT Bhubaneswar, are participating in the workshop.
OSDMA Advisor Kamal Lochan Mishra delivered the welcome address, while Executive Director Susmita Behera proposed the vote of thanks. Professor Manoranjan Mishra of Fakir Mohan University was among those present.
