Ranchi: According to the Meteorological Department, monsoon has entered Jharkhand. At the same time, the possibility of heavy rain is expected from June 25. There have also been reports of lightning in the midst of heavy rain.
At the same time, studies have also started in the schools of the state. Amidst the forecast of heavy rain and lightning, concerns about the safety of schools are once again coming to the fore. This safety concern is from lightning. This is because there is no lightning rod in the government schools of the state.
In the last 10 years, lightning conductors installed in most of the schools in the state are either not working or have been stolen. For the safety of children, lightning conductors were installed in schools about 10 years ago.
Since then the lightning conductors installed in the schools have either got damaged or have been stolen. According to statistics, 11544 lightning conductors installed in 18 districts of the state have been stolen. An FIR has been lodged regarding the stolen lightning conductors from the schools.
According to figures, Lightning conductors have been stolen from 1158 from Ranchi, 100 from Latehar, 1324 from Hazaribagh, 560 from Ramgarh, 1700 from Palamu, 342 from Gumla, 135 from Simdega, 107 from Garhwa, 162 from Lohardaga, 450 from Godda, 850 from Jamtara, 850 from Pakur, 400 Jamshedpur, 910 Deoghar, 508 Dhanbad, 368 Bokaro, 680 Sahibganj, 590 Chatra.
There is a danger of lightning falling in any school, but there is more concern about residential schools. Due to the non-availability of lightning conductors, the danger remains in these schools. However, according to officials of School Education and Literacy, lightning conductors will be installed in schools soon. The proposal is ready for this. Now it has to be seen how long lightning conductors are installed in government schools.
Unless lightning conductors are installed in schools, there will be a danger of lightning during the monsoon. It is not that efforts have not been made to keep the children of government schools safe. About 14 years ago, in March 2009, the Jharkhand High Court had ordered the installation of lightning conductors in schools within six months.
Then Rs 34 thousand per lightning conductor was made available to the village education committee on behalf of the education project. Lightning conductors were also installed in the schools after the order of the High Court. Even then a large number of schools remained without lightning conductors. There have been thefts from the schools where it was installed.
According to the statistics of the Disaster Management Department, 1549 people have died in the last seven years due to seasonal lightning in the state. According to the figures till May in the year 2023, 27 people have died. In the year 2017, 256 people died due to lightning, 261 in 2018, 283 in 2019, 322 in 2020, 343 in 2021 and 57 in 2022.