Odisha to develop lightning safety SOP and action plan

The Odisha government has launched a two-day national workshop in Bhubaneswar to draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for lightning safety. The initiative aims to reduce human casualties and strengthen community preparedness through a comprehensive “Lightning-Safe Odisha: 2027 Action Plan and 2027-2030 Roadmap.”

Experts from scientific, technical, and academic institutions, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), are collaborating to improve lightning detection and forecasting. Proposed technological interventions include the use of satellite data, numerical weather prediction, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to enhance early warning dissemination.

The workshop also focuses on ground-level mitigation strategies, such as identifying high-risk hotspots, developing lightning protection standards, and creating low-cost shelters. Special emphasis is being placed on protecting vulnerable populations, including farmers, outdoor workers, and students, by bridging the gap between scientific research and grassroots implementation.