Lightning Resilient India Campaign- a Citizen Science Approach to Save Life

Abstract

Lightning had been the biggest killer and a mysterious disaster. Till the year 2018, there was apparent rise in lightning fatalities mainly due to rising frequency and intensity of lightning strikes. There were frequent deaths of farmers, rural masses specially during Kalbaishakhi and monsoons. Deaths were sporadic but collectively they accounted 33% of total fatalities due to natural hazards. To address this hazard, India Meteorological Department (IMD) started lightning forecasts from 1st April 2019. To enhance outreach of IMD 's forecasts and comprehensive solutions to Lightning, Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC) in collaboration with IMD, IMS and World Vision India and Red Cross, launched Lightning Resilient India Campaign on 26 March 2019 with an aim to reduce lightning deaths by 80% in three years. The campaign, through multi-stakeholders' engagement at the national and state levels with government departments, academia, NGOs and communities, has been successful in bringing down deaths by more than 50% within a year. In addition, the scientific mapping of lightning in the whole of India as country as well as in all of its 37 states and union territories and in-depth analysis of data with citizen centric approach have been the key factors in effectively addressing the lightning hazard. Mapping of lightning in time and space brings out the hotspots and critical communities and assets to be saved. The scientific products of Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) institutions and ISRO 's observations packed up in a citizen science format have yielded encouraging results. The outcome of Lightning Resilient India Campaign is tribute to the scientific community and an exemplary practice to seed science amongst the stakeholders in saving life, livestock and livelihood.