The palm tree, whose height touches the sky, but the juice emanating from it is quite infamous, which causes alcohol -like intoxication. Toddy is drunk in Uttar Pradesh and many areas of Bihar. Many people hardly know that this palm tree can save you from such a big sky, which makes the most people the most victims in states like UP, Bihar and Odisha. That disaster is- sky electricity, which leads to the life of many innocent people in Bihar every year. The palm tree is very helpful in protecting it from sky electricity. Let us know how palm trees can save us and you from sky lightning.
Let’s first take a look at the figures, between March 2025 and 17 April 2025, 12 Indian states killed at least 162 people due to lightning. Between March 2024 and April 2024 last year, the figure was 57 and this time it increased 184 percent.
The big thing is that Bihar was the most affected state, where 99 deaths were recorded due to lightning between March and mid -April 2025, which is 61 percent of the total deaths across the country. According to the state disaster management officials, the shocking thing is that 98 of these deaths occurred in just six days between 9-14 April.
This led to the deadliest month in the matter of lightning in Bihar since 2017 in Bihar. Earlier there were 25 deaths in April 2020, 24 in 2018 and 12 in 2019. There was no death due to lightning during March and April in both 2023 and 2024 in the state.
According to a report by the Bihar Economic Survey and Disaster Management Department, between 2016 and April 2025, there have been 2,446 people, in which rural people have been the most affected. Intensive analysis of data shows that since 2016, deadly lightning incidents have reached a worrying level.
Is there increasing lightning incidents due to palm tree cutting?
Scientists and villagers estimate that this is happening because people are cutting palm trees filled with high, water and juice, as they can no longer be used in traditional toddy businesses. When these trees were given importance in making toddy, they used to act like a natural electric conductor.
According to the report, only 133 people died due to lightning in 2015 and 114 people in 2016, but because palm trees were cut for money, 253 people died due to lightning in 2019; 459 despite the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020; 280 in 2021; 400 in 2022; 242 in 2023; 303 in 2024; And this year 76 people have lost their lives.
In the government report, South-Central Bihar has been described as the most sensitive in the case of lightning. In 2024, 72% of deaths (219 out of 303) due to lightning occurred in these areas, including Gaya, Jehanabad, Arwal, Nawada, Aurangabad, Patna, Patna, Nalanda, Kaimur, Rohtas, Bhojpur and Buxar the most affected.
The report states that most of the deaths due to lightning occurred between 12.30 pm and 4 pm when most of the villagers live out of their homes to take care of farming or cattle. The highest number of deaths occurred in July, in which most men suffered from lightning.
SK Singh, agricultural scientist at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, says, “We cannot ignore the indiscriminate cutting of palm trees. It was always going to prove to be destructive, as we are looking right now. The stems and roots of palm trees and roots have natural moisture, which can make it an effective landlord without any obstruction.
How to save palm trees from lightning?
The palm trees have the natural ability to reduce the effects of sky lightning due to high moisture and height, which act as natural electric rods and conductors. The palm trees absorb and eliminate the electrical energy of electrical energy, so that there is not much effect of lightning in the surrounding areas.
The stems of palm trees are filled with water and juice, which can absorb electrical energy with electrical attack and destroy it. Within the tree trunk, this more water acts like a natural conductor, due to which the power passes through the tree without any damage.
Another interesting aspect of palm trees is their height. Palm trees are often higher than the surrounding flora, which makes them more likely to lighten up. However, it may look like a disadvantage, but it actually helps protect other plants and structures nearby.
Uday Kant Mishra, vice -president of Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA), said that they are encouraging farmers to plant more palm trees, so that awareness about their unique ability to reduce the loss due to lightning.
Mishra explains, “It all knows that if there is an elevated tree, the electricity will first fall on it. The leaves of the palm tree are spread like an umbrella, which gives him a big area to fall lightning.”
Another BSDMA official said that “millions of palm trees” have been cut after the full ban, as they have lost their “utility”. Recently, during the visit to rural areas, many palm trees were found damaged from above and still standing on the ground.
Odisha took lessons
For example, the state of Odisha in India has identified the benefits of palm trees in protecting against lightning and has started planting large -scale plants to reduce damage.
The characteristic of the palm tree withstanding the electricity is quite beneficial in areas like Odisha, where the government has approved planting 19 lakh palm trees to deal with the increasing number of deaths related to electricity.
Experts concern
According to experts, planting palm trees is a strategy, but public education and awareness is also important on the protocol of avoiding sky lightning.
Some experts have expressed concern about the long -term impact of this strategy. They argue that it takes time for palm trees to reach the height where they can effectively reduce lightning. They say that it takes 15 to 20 years for palm trees to reach the height, where they can reduce electrical attacks.
