--As over a dozen killed in a year: The flashing of lightning across the sky now is making the people of Kendrapada district scurry for cover. So scary are they, especially after the lightning claimed a couple of lives and injured scores in just a month, that they soon hide them somewhere, when it strikes.
For the residents of the coastal district, after floods and cyclones, lightning has come as a big threat. As per a report, lightning has claimed not less than a dozen lives in a year. So, it has triggered a sharp debate as to why there should not be special steps for saving people from lightning strikes.
According to official sources, most of the lightning struck deaths have been reported from agricultural fields. Most of the lightning victims were farmers and daily wagers and the lightning struck at them when they were working in the field during the rain.
In past years, lightning strikes were frequently found in the areas of Rajkanika, Pattmaundai, Aul and Rajnagar. But this year, lightning related casualties are occurring on the outskirts of Kendrapada township area.
Intellectual masses have demanded that Kendrapada district be declared lightning- prone with special measures to ward off the residents.