With the monsoon approaching, the Nagpur district administration and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) have urged citizens to download the ‘Damini Lightning Alert’ mobile application to protect themselves from lightning strikes — one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in India.
Every year, hundreds of lives are lost to lightning strikes across the country, with rural areas bearing the brunt. The risk rises sharply during June and July when thunderstorm activity peaks. Nagpur district officials, including DDMA chief Ashish Yereker, have issued the advisory ahead of the season.
The Damini app, developed by IITM-Pune under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, uses GPS to track lightning activity in real time and sends advance alerts up to 15 minutes before a strike is detected within a 20 to 40-kilometre radius. This early warning gives residents — especially those working in open fields — time to move to safety.
Yereker has directed all government officials, talathi, gram sevaks, police patil, ASHA workers, sarpanch and village-level functionaries to download the app and spread awareness among residents. Gram panchayat offices across the district have been asked to conduct awareness drives in the coming weeks.
The app is available free of charge on the Google Play Store by searching ‘Damini Lightning Alert’.
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