Palm tree project failed, now comes lightning arrester worth Tk 13b

The government initiated a plan to plant 4 million palm trees nationwide, investing approximately Tk 1 billion in an effort to reduce fatalities from lightning strikes. Unfortunately, this strategy did not succeed in lowering the death toll from lightning incidents. 

The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has taken up a Tk 13.21 billion project of setting up lightning arrester and shelter centres to prevent lightning deaths.

The experts argue that this project is a mere waste of money. They contend that shelter centers have limited effectiveness in preventing lightning deaths and suggest that building awareness would be a more cost-effective strategy.

While the Disaster Management department is implementing a Tk 13.21 billion project, the Ministry of Agriculture is seeking approval for a similar project worth Tk 2.31 billion. Simultaneously, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is also installing lightning arresters as part of a separate project valued at Tk 40 billion. 

Earlier in 2018, Bangladesh Meteorological Department installed Lightning Detection Sensors in eight places for Tk 620 million. The system introduced for lightning warning is no longer working.

Saiful Islam, director of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s (BUET) water and flood management institute, told Prothom Alo, “I’m disappointed to see the unscientific plans taken up to curb the death in lightning. How could they even think like this?”

Terming awareness building as the only effective way to decrease the death in lightning, he said such projects are nothing but wastage of public money.

The government in 2016 declared lightning as a disaster. According to DDM, every year 242 people die in lightning on average.

As per DDM’s project proposal, a total of 6,793 lightning arresters would be installed and 3398 shelter centres would be constructed in 15 districts.

Setting up lightning arresters would cost Tk 7.32 billion while Tk 4.05 billion would be spent on construction of shelter centres. The remaining amount of the project would be spent on other activities.

This project will be implemented in Habiganj, Sunamganj, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Bogura, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Pabna, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Netrakona and Kishoreganj as these districts are more lightning-prone.

The project was sent to the Planning Commission last June. Due to budget constraints and ineffectiveness of the project, the commission sent back the project. The disaster management and relief ministry, however, sent the same project again in November.

Disaster management secretary Kamrul Hasan told Prothom Alo that the number of deaths decreased after lightning arresters were installed in the Rohingya camp area in Cox's Bazar. That is why the project has been taken up for lightning prone areas of the country.

He said the shelter constructed to prevent death in lightning will not be like any other shelter centres. These will be small establishments. A separate project will be taken up for maintenance of the facilities after construction.

The planning commission officials apprehend that these shelter centres will remain vacant for the better part of the year. As a result, these shelter centres will go out of use. Question has also arisen as to why several government bodies are spending for the same work.

Disaster management expert Gowher Nayeem Wara told Prothom Alo that lightning arrester might bring some result in areas like Sunamganj and Netrokona. That’s why a small project can be taken up in these areas. This project cannot be successful without cooperation from the local people as there is a high risk that copper tapes used in lightning arresters might get stolen.

He said lightning arresters have been installed in Nepal. The project faced many hurdles at first, but it started to work well after the authorities had involved local residents later.

Gawher Nayeem termed the construction of the shelter center as squandering of public money.

He said it is not realistic to think that the farmers would run to shelter during lightning leaving their work in the field.

He said that there is no ‘protocol’ of treatment for the people injured in lightning and urged the authorities to make a protocol.  

The DDM in 2017 decided to plant 4 million palm trees across the country under Kabikha and TR projects. Within two years, palm trees in some places died or in some places money was misappropriated without planting any tree.  

According to DDM, around Tk 1 billion was spent on tree plantation but the number of deaths did not decrease.  

Sources from the planning commission said the project was taken up without any discussion with the stakeholders or conducting any pilot project.

State minister Enamur Rahman at a programme on 11 May last year said the palm tree plantation project has been scrapped as a palm tree takes 30 to 40 years to mature.

The DDM now admits that the tree plantation was not a correct strategy to decrease lightning.

DDM’s director general Mizanur Rahman told Prothom Alo that it is scientifically proven that palm trees can decrease lightning casualties.

He said according to his knowledge, lightning arresters are effective in decreasing the death rate.

The BMD in 2018 took the initiative of installing lightning detection sensors in eight places so that the sensor can forewarn 10 to 30 minutes in advance of a lightning strike.

Mazidul Islam was the director of the project. He told Prothom Alo on 11 December that sensors cannot be maintained well for lack of manpower.

Some sensors are stopped due to problems with connection, electricity or internet.

LGED in January this year took up a Tk 40 billion project titled ‘Resilient Infrastructure for Adaptation and Vulnerability Reduction (RIAVR)’. Around 1400 lightning arresters are being installed in 14 districts as part of the project. Seven of the 14 districts are also in the project of the DDM.

The agriculture ministry has taken up a project on installing lightning resisting systems for safeguarding the lives of farmers in the haor region.

According to the project proposal, it will install 16 lightning arresters in seven districts and build a smartphone app and so on.

Asked about similar projects by different government bodies, Gawher Nayeem said taking up projects opens up the chance to travel abroad and resort to irregularities.

Taking up similar projects for the same work is simply wastage of public money, he added.