Install lightning arresters at all government buildings, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Alarmed over large number of deaths due to lightning strikes, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday asked the officials concerned to install lightning arresters at all government buildings in the state as early as possible by launching a special drive.
At least 900 people have died due to lightning strikes in Bihar in the last two-and-a-half years, including 74 in June this year alone, reports Madan Kumar.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the recent incidents of lightning strikes at 'Sankalp' hall of the CM residence here, Nitish also asked officials to motivate people to install lightning arresters at their private buildings.
Several districts, including Patna, received light to moderate showers on Friday. Patna Meteorological Centre has predicted rain to continue till July 26.
Yellow-coloured warning has been issued for heavy rainfall at isolated places in Purnia, Kishanganj and Supaul and for thunderstorm with lightning in northern and south-eastern parts of the state on Saturday.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday evening predicted fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days. The intensity of rainfall in Bihar is, however, likely to reduce over the next two days.
However, a fresh spell of enhanced rainfall activity has been predicted in the state from July 27-28. "The present spell of rain across the state was primarily due to monsoon trough line, which was passing near its normal position on Friday. However, it is likely to shift southwards during the next three days, which might lead to slight reduction in intensity of showers in Bihar over the next few days. However, the trough line is again expected to oscillate north and cross through Bihar around July 27. Accordingly, we are expecting another spell of enhanced rainfall activity in the state for three to four days from July 27," Sanjay Kumar of Patna centre told TOI.
Meanwhile, the places which received significant rainfall on Friday included Patna (19.6mm), Pupari in Sitamarhi (14.0mm), Harnaut in Nalanda (12.0mm), Jamui (9.5mm), Chhapra (9mm) and Valmikinagar in West Champaran (7.0mm).
Despite the scattered rainfall over the last couple of days, Bihar is still facing a whopping deficiency of (-) 45% in the monsoon rainfall this year so far. The state has received 228.1mm of rainfall from June 1 to July 22 against the normal 414.4mm during the same period.
Patna has received 193.2mm rainfall so far against the corresponding normal of 366.8mm, leaving a deficiency of 47% below the expected normal. "The rainfall deficiency is higher in places in south Bihar," Sanjay said.