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Odisha, one of India’s worst-affected states by lightning strikes during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods, has restricted the cutting of existing palm trees and plans to plant around 1.9 million such trees to reduce casualties from lightning strikes.
Permission must be obtained from the forest department to cut palm trees on private land premises. “Strict action will be taken against those who violate the order," said Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Debidutta Biswal, on July 1, 2024.
Palm trees act as natural conductors during lightning strikes and prevent loss of lives. The government of the eastern state decided in September 2023 to undertake extensive plantation of palm trees and protect existing ones, Biswal explained.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu, in an inter-departmental meeting for the implementation of disaster-resilient projects under the Disaster Mitigation Fund last year, had urged officials from the forest, environment and agriculture departments to undertake large-scale palm tree plantations in reserve forests and other vulnerable districts to reduce lightning-related hazards.
“As per the decision, the department will plant around 1.9 million palm trees across the state in 2024-25. Four palm trees will be planted near the boundary of each forest block. Around Rs 7 crore will be spent for this purpose,” he said.
The restriction on felling palm trees in the state was initially imposed under the Odisha Timber and Other Forest Produce Transit Rule. However, the restriction was later withdrawn following public demands, leading to the near extinction of palm trees in rural areas. Now, the government has reinstated the restriction due to the increasing deaths from lightning, particularly during the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons, added Biswal.
“It’s a welcome move by the government to restrict the chopping down of existing palm trees in rural areas, as they aim to mitigate lightning deaths naturally,” said Jitsatru Mohanty, a senior retired forest officer.
On average, 300 people have died annually in Odisha due to lightning, with a total of 2,058 deaths from lightning strikes in the five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23. A total of 16,372 people have died in various natural calamities during this period, the state government reported in the assembly in September 2023. Lightning strikes claim nearly 2,500 human lives annually in India, experts noted.
Most of the victims of lightning strikes in rural areas include farmers, cattle herders, fishers, forest dwellers and labourers working outdoors, they said.
Lightning was declared a state-specific disaster in Odisha in 2015 and the state government provides an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the family of the deceased in case of death due to lightning strike.
“The restriction on cutting down palm trees is a positive step to minimise deaths due to lightning strikes, but it is not scientifically accepted globally,” said Manoranjan Mishra, a professor in the Department of Geography at FM University, Balasore. Mishra has extensively researched lightning in India, particularly in Odisha, and headed the ‘Lightning Monitoring and Awareness’ programme undertaken by the university.
He also questioned the survival rate of the plants, noting that it takes around 20 years for a palm tree to become fully grown and effectively observe lightning. In Bangladesh, where palm tree planting was initiated some years ago to reduce deaths, lightning fatalities remain high, he pointed out.
“In the past, people believed that tall trees like palms absorbed lightning before it struck the ground. It was also observed that lightning strike deaths were lower in areas, particularly in cultivable lands, where palm trees existed,” observed Sudhir Rout, director of Aryabhatta Foundation, which works on environmental protection.
P Sundar Narayan Patra, a retired professor of botany and president of the Odisha Environment Society, stated that not only palm trees but any tall trees can absorb lightning. “The government should re-impose restrictions on cutting tall trees to minimise deaths due to lightning strikes,” said Patra. He mentioned that trees like oaks, maples, poplars, ash, pine and tulip are common victims of lightning strikes.
