Lightning

Why in news?

• Recently few States have demanded that “lightning” be declared as a “natural disaster” because deaths caused by it surpass any other disaster in India.

About Lightning:

• It is the natural process of "an electrical discharge of very little duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud," accompanied by a bright flash, a loud sound, and occasionally thunderstorms.
• Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning is dangerous because it can electrocute people due to its high electric voltage and current.
• Inter- or intra-cloud lightning is visible and safe.

Process of Lightning:

• Lightning is caused by a difference in electrical charge between the top and bottom of a cloud, which generates a huge current of electricity.
• Water vapor in the cloud condenses and rises, generating heat and pushing water molecules further up until they become ice crystals.
• Collisions between the ice crystals trigger the release of electrons, leading to a chain reaction that results in a positively charged top layer and negatively charged middle layer in the cloud.
• When the difference in charge becomes large enough, a huge current of electricity flows between the layers, producing heat that causes the air column to expand and produce shock waves that create thunder sounds.

Lightning in India - Statistics:

• According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data >> around 2,500 people died every year due to lightning.
• It accounts for 35 per cent of all deaths due to natural hazards.
• Lightning deaths are recorded under the ‘accidental deaths’ category by the NCRB.
• Even though it is the most fatal of natural hazards in India, lightning isn’t classified as a natural disaster by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• According to present norms, cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves are considered as disasters that are covered under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), 75% of which is funded by the Centre.

Add ons:

• In a 2015 study from California University, the university cautioned that a rise in one degree Celsius would result in a 12% increase in the frequency of lightning strikes.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements:

1. Lightning is classified as a natural disaster by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

2. Lightning is covered under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), 75% of which is funded by the Centre

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer