Disaster Management / OSDMA to Host Two-Day National Workshop on Lightning Safety in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Oct 14: In a bid to strengthen lightning risk reduction measures and minimise fatalities caused by one of Odisha's most persistent natural hazards, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will organise a two-day National Workshop on Lightning Safety in Bhubaneswar on October 15 and 16, officials said on Wednesday.

Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari will inaugurate the workshop at a hotel in Bhubaneswar, they added.

The workshop is likely to bring together leading scientists, researchers, disaster management professionals and policymakers from across the country to chart out a comprehensive strategy for lightning safety.

Focus on science and forecasting

Organised by OSDMA, the workshop will provide a platform for discussions on scientific forecasting, lightning risk assessment, dissemination of early warnings and strengthening community-level safety mechanisms.

The first day's deliberations will focus on advancements in lightning detection, monitoring and forecasting. Experts will discuss the integration of satellite data, numerical weather prediction models, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) applications and panchayat-level decision-support systems to enhance prediction accuracy and increase lead time for warnings.

Scientists and representatives from institutions such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), IIT Bhubaneswar, Fakir Mohan University, NIT Patna and several other academic and technical bodies are expected to participate.

Community safety measures

The second day will focus on practical interventions aimed at reducing lightning-related deaths and injuries. Discussions will cover hotspot identification and mapping, risk assessment for farmers, lightning protection standards, low-cost lightning shelters and emergency management protocols for lightning victims.

A dedicated session will also examine how scientific warnings can be translated into actionable safety messages for farmers, students, outdoor workers and vulnerable communities through SMS alerts, mobile applications, IVRS systems, sirens and community communication networks.
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SOP and roadmap

One of the key outcomes of the workshop is expected to be the preparation of a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and an action plan for 2027. Experts and government representatives will also deliberate on a long-term roadmap for 2027-2030, focusing on forecasting, public awareness, early warning dissemination, vulnerability reduction and emergency response.

OSDMA officials said the initiative would help strengthen coordination between scientific research, government planning and community-based action, further reinforcing Odisha's efforts to reduce lightning-related casualties and improve disaster resilience across the state.