LIGHTNING DURING GOLDEN SPIKE OF THE ANTHROPOCENEEPOCH: THE STUDY OF VULNERABILITY ODISHA, INDIA IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

Lightning is the science of random, uncertain, capricious celetial phenomenon. The earth is created and sustained by nitrogen fixation and ozonisation due to lightning but it has become a apocalytic event for last 20 years in the tropics and sub-tropics. Indians are highly susptible to lightning particularly the eastern India. Odisha, a coastal state in India, have special geoclimate, regularly struck by thunderstorms. The present study is probed to find the history, myths, origin, types, physics, chemistry and impacts of thunderstorms and its impact to the ecosystem and habitats of the earth. Lightning fatalities and trauma were under reported as fedral bodies were less aware of the catastrophe and were less alert till 2015. India, specially eastern zone including Odisha and Bihar are prone to the increased lightning hits which has raised the fatalities in 21st century. The average fatalities 2001- 2017 of India was 2207 and that of Odisha was 295 which is 13.36 % due to lightning whereas area wise, the state is only 4.87 % and population wise 1.005% of India. According to LIS/OTD observations of TRMM satelite of NASA, India has 17 hotspot areas of lightning with flash rate density is 121.41 fl/Km2/yr (highest at Rajaury, J&K) against earth?s highest at Lake Maracaibo, Venjuela, as 232.52 fl/Km2/yr. Odisha is tending towards a lightning hub as Bhadrak and Banapur are already included where as Mayurbhang area is awaiting the list. Observing the rate of mortlity of NW Odisha in North Eastern India, some management procedures are discussed to combat the disaster, paerticularly harnessing electricity from Lightning.