Bhubaneswar: A total of 246 people have died in lightning during 2019-20 in Odisha, said Revenue and Disaster Management minister Sudam Marandi in the State Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question by Debi Ranjan Tripathy, he said 115 domestic animals have also died in lightning strikes.
The state government has provided the ex-gratia of Rs 4.6 crore to the family of the victims and Rs 16.16 lakh compensation towards the loss of their domestic animals, the minister said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has taken steps to provide early lightning warning to the people for which the Revenue and Disaster Management department has introduced a mobile application ‘Sarthak’, he added..
