Bhubaneswar, Aug 18: The Odisha government has taken an initiative to plant at least 20 lakh palm trees to help reduce the damage caused by lightning strikes.

The forest and agriculture departments will collaborate to plant these trees in various regions. The decline in palm trees has been linked to the rise in lightning strikes across the state.

Speaking to ANI, Suresh Pujari, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, said, "Lightning-related deaths are increasing day by day, and Odisha has one of the highest death rates due to lightning strikes in India. According to reports, at least 300 lives have been lost in Odisha due to lightning."

He further said that the mission to plant around 20 lakh palm trees had already commenced.

"To tackle this situation, we have initiated a mission to plant palm trees across the state, as they act as good conductors. We have already started the mission to plant around 20 lakh palm trees, with the effort led by the forest department," he further said.
He further said that the ultimate goal was to achieve zero casualties in Odisha due to lightning strikes.

He further added, "Additionally, we are concerned about schools where earthing has not been properly installed, as this has led to the loss of lives due to lightning strikes. Our primary focus is on vulnerable areas with higher incidences of lightning as we target to plant around 20 lakh palm trees this year. Our ultimate goal is to achieve zero casualties in Odisha due to lightning strikes." (ANI)