Alam Sarowar Tito, Kishoreganj :
Bangladesh has seen a significant increase in casualties from lightning strikes, with weather pattern shifts contributing to this alarming trend. The pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, particularly in the northern and northeastern regions, are the most vulnerable times for these fatal strikes.
In the haor areas, including Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Sunamganj, and Habiganj, lightning-related deaths have surged in recent years. Over the past three years, more than 100 people have lost their lives to lightning in the haor region alone. In just the last 45 days, at least 13 fatalities have been reported in the haor areas of Kishoreganj.
One of the major contributing factors to these deaths is the lack of safe shelter in the vast open spaces of the haor during storms and lightning. Farmers and fishermen, who spend long hours working in the haor, are left exposed with no refuge when storms or thunderstorms hit.
The government declared lightning a national disaster in May 2016, but nearly a decade later, no significant steps have been taken to ensure the safety of those working in the region.
There is a notable absence of lightning rods or designated shelters in the haor areas. Haors, which make up 46 percent of the total area of Kishoreganj, are located in the Itna, Mithamain, and Ashtagram upazilas. According to Md. Badruddoza, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Kishoreganj, educational institutions are often used as shelters during floods or other natural disasters. However, the vast open haor lacks any official infrastructure like shelters or lightning rods.
The DRRO noted that more than a hundred people in Kishoreganj have died due to lightning strikes over the past six years. To assist the families of victims, the government provides Tk 25,000 for burial, shrouding, or cremation costs.
Syed Fayyaz Hasan Babu, Chairman of Ashtagram Sadar Union Parishad and former General Secretary of the Upazila BNP, stated that farmers and fishermen in the haor region live in constant fear throughout the monsoon season. They are often caught in the open fields, with no place to take shelter during thunderstorms. This has resulted in an increasing number of deaths each year.
In an effort to address this issue, Syed Fayyaz Hasan Babu built a two-story shelter center at Dhopa Beel in Ashtagram Sadar with funding from the Union Parishad and his own contributions in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
The shelter, which also provides drinking water facilities, offers a refuge for farmers and fishermen during lightning strikes. Babu emphasized that if such shelter centers were established throughout the entire haor region, the number of lightning fatalities would likely decrease.
Local farmers and fishermen shared their concerns, saying that during storms, they are left with no choice but to pray for safety. With the haor being five to seven kilometers away from the nearest village, returning home is not an option. They believe that setting up additional shelter centers at various points in the haor would significantly reduce the risks they face.
