Daily news highlights from Maharashtra: Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has asked the state government to increase the compensation amount for families of farmers who die from lightning strikes. Right now, the families get ₹4 lakh, but Wadettiwar said this is too little and should be raised to ₹10 lakh.
This issue was raised during the Question Hour in the Maharashtra state assembly. Wadettiwar said that many poor farmers and laborers working in the fields are killed by lightning. Their deaths leave families heartbroken and without support.
1. Why Congress Wants Compensation Increased
Wadettiwar explained that when someone dies in a tiger attack, the government gives the family ₹25 lakh. But when a person dies due to lightning, which is also a natural disaster, they get only ₹4 lakh. He called this unfair and said lightning deaths should be treated equally. “Why is there a difference in compensation when both are nature-related deaths?” he asked.
2. Government Promises to Review the Suggestion
Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan replied to the demand. He said earlier, lightning deaths were not part of the disaster relief policy. But now, they have been included. Mahajan promised to take the suggestion seriously and said, “I will talk to the Chief Minister about increasing the amount.”
Mahajan added that lightning deaths are a serious problem. In 2022, 236 people died in lightning strikes across the state. In 2023, 181 such deaths were reported. Many of these people were farmers or workers who were outside during bad weather.
3. New Mobile Apps to Warn About Lightning
Minister Mahajan also shared some Breaking News about technology being used to save lives. Two mobile apps—Damini and Sachet—have been created by a central government institute. These apps send alerts to warn people about possible lightning strikes.
Currently, the apps give alerts within a 400 km area. But a new mobile app is being developed that will send hyperlocal alerts. This means the app will warn people if lightning may strike within just 400 meters of their location. This can help farmers and laborers avoid danger in real-time.
4. Farmers Need More Support Against Climate Disasters
Many MLAs, including Bhaskar Jadhav, Sameer Kunawar, and Vijay Wadettiwar, also raised additional questions. They said farmers and workers are often the first to be affected by natural disasters like lightning, floods, or heatwaves.
They demanded that the state take stronger steps to protect farmers and offer fair compensation. With more climate-related disasters happening every year, the government must improve its relief plans.
5. What’s Next?
Mahajan promised the assembly that he will take this matter seriously. He will discuss it with the Chief Minister and review whether the compensation amount can be raised to ₹10 lakh. He also said the government is working on improving warning systems and apps to reduce future lightning deaths.
This topic shows how climate change is creating new dangers for farmers and how government policy needs to change to keep up. Many believe this is an important time to update safety and relief systems to match the rising number of weather-related deaths.
