The Vizianagaram district administration has taken up a special drive to create awareness among agriculture labourers and 3.12 lakh active NREGA workers about the steps to be taken up during lightning activity which has already taken 11 lives in just one month in the district.
An elderly woman Bontapalli Savitramma of Kottapenta village of Bobbili mandal and Pattika Prasada Rao of Lumbesu village of GL Puram mandal died on April 18. April 24 was a horrible day on when four deaths were reported. Along with her nine-year-old granddaughter Sravani, an elderly woman Dwaraka Ramayyam died on the spot in Rajapulova of Bhogapuram mandal. Rowthu Gowri Naidu of Rellivalasa village of Bhogapuram mandal and Dhakapu Adinarayana of Sundarada village of Terlam mandal were struck dead by lightining.
The spree continued when five people — Pilli Yellayyamma of Vengapuram village of Balijipet, Reddi Simhachalam of VR Peta of Parvatipuram, M.Bhuloku of Tippalavalasa of Pusapati Rega mandal, Bondu China Ammoru of Bhogapuram mandal, Meda Danayya of Simhachalam — killed in the fields on May 1 creating tension and panic.
Meda Danayya and Bhuloku belonged to the fishermen community which rarely experiences such calamity though they face many natural disasters like cyclones. The death timings indicated that the lightning activity was not confined to evenings. For instance, Dwaraka Ramayamma and M. Sravani were killed at 12.15 pm and Reddi Simhachalam, Bhuloku and Bondu Ammoru at 9.30 am.
Vizianagaram District Water Management Agency Project Director Boddepalli Rajagopal and District Project Manager of Disaster Management wing M. Padmavati told The Hindu that they were trying to inform the possible lightning timings in advance to the labourers through Tehsildars, VROs and filed officers.
Pamphlets are being distributed to them explaining the precautions to be taken up when weather condition changes quickly. According to them, the labourers should put down their head to the ground whenever they hear the sounds of thunder. They are not supposed to stay under the trees since lightning takes the support of long object. “The alerts given by the Indian Meteorological Department are being sent to all villages with lightning speed. We can save many lives when people follow the instructions. That is why we have taken up awareness programmes during normal days too,” said Mr. Rajagopal.
The government decided to pay up to ₹4 lakh to the kin of the deceased families in the district as rules were relaxed. “Earlier, the compensation was only ₹1.5 lakh. The payments to all the victims’ families would be made within a few weeks,” said Mrs. Padmavati.
