Sky-borne disaster in Bihar, 12 people died in 24 hours due to lightning, CM Nitish announced compensation

With the change in weather in Bihar, a natural calamity has descended. 12 people have died due to lightning during heavy rains. According to official information, 12 people have lost their lives due to lightning in four districts of Bihar in the last 24 hours. According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), five people have died due to lightning in Gaya. While 3 people have died in Jehanabad and 2 each in Nalanda and Rohtas.

Compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased
State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences over the lightning incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased. The CM also urged people to follow the advice of the Disaster Management Department.

The latest Bihar Economic Survey (2023-24), presented during the budget session of the state assembly in February, said the state witnessed 400 lightning-related deaths in 2022. The highest number of deaths were reported in Gaya (46), Bhojpur (23), Nawada (21), Banka (21), Aurangabad (20) and Nalanda and Kaimur (18 each).

The survey also said that Bihar has allocated Rs 430.92 crore for disaster management in 2022-23. The biggest chunk, Rs 285.22 crore, is dedicated to localised disasters like lightning and drowning.

What is the update on rain in Bihar?
According to the forecast of the Meteorological Department (IMD), Bihar will remain cloudy on August 2 and light to moderate rain with thundershowers may occur at some places. At the same time, the minimum temperature is expected to be 27 degrees and the maximum temperature is expected to be 33 degrees Celsius.