Ranchi, May 4: Jharkhand will soon have a comprehensive data bank on areas prone to lightning strikes with the Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Kanke, having set up as many as seven sophisticated sensors to monitor the phenomenon that kills hundreds of people in the state during monsoon.

The weather wing of the university has set up seven lightning detection centres, each manned by highly efficient LD 250 sensors imported from Canada. These are in Chianki (Daltonganj), Darishahi (Jamshedpur), Jagannathpur (Chaibasa), Kanke (Ranchi), Dumka and Hazaribagh. The seventh is a mobile sensor.

Each machine has the capacity of reading lightning within a 500km radius. The data, picked up by the sensors, will be analysed and an information bank prepared for the state.

BAU weather scientist A. Wadood said the areas would be categorised as zones — highly prone, moderately prone and least prone to lightning. “Jharkhand is 200-1,100m above sea level and thus more prone to lightning strikes. The information will help prepare safety models against the natural calamity, which kills hundreds every year.”

The task of preparing the information bank on lightning had been handed over to BAU last year after Jharkhand High Court directed the state to adopt stringent measures against the mass killer.

The state approved Rs 1.5 crore for the project, which is expected to be completed in three years. While the seven sensors cost a total of Rs 66 lakh, the rest met installation expenses. Wadood said the institute would collect data for three consecutive years, beginning 2009, and prepare the information bank.

“We completed installing the sensors five months ago. These machines are now ready to record any lighting strikes this season,” said Wadood, monitoring the mission. The sensors will read the intensity of lightning and latitude and longitude of occurrence, besides frequency.

According to BAU data, lightning killed 84 people in 2007-08. The following year, the toll shot to 113. “Since deaths due to lightning occur in a sporadic manner, its seriousness is missed. But it is a mass killer in Jharkhand,” he said.

About two years ago, lightning struck a government school in Namkum killing five children who were playing outside. A dozen others were injured. Then HRD minister Bandhu Tirkey had ordered the installation of lightning conductors atop school buildings. Now, barely 20 per cent schools have the shield so far.

“The state initiated a project to protect school buildings from lightning. But I have to find out how much work has been completed,” said D.K. Saxena, director, primary education.