Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
ePaper
Online edition of India's National Newspaper Thursday, Nov 15, 2007 ePaper |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tamil Nadu |
|
News:
ePaper |
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
Advts: Retail Plus | Classifieds | Jobs | Obituary |
Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Lightning physics and earth science experts have suggested applying improved methods to map sites prone to thunder storm activity and popularising lightning protection devices at the design stage of residential and commercial establishments. Presiding over a two-day workshop on lightning protection organised here by Thiruvananthapuram-based Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action and the Regional Energy Centre, the experts said poor awareness was a major factor resulting in substantial loss of lives and property due to lightning in the country every year. G. R. Nagabhushana, AICTE Emeritus Fellow, High Voltage Engineering Division of the Indian Institute of Sciences, said the method currently followed by agencies, including the Meteorological Department, was not a fair indicator of the extent of lightning proneness of an area. The system of isokeuranic gauge classified risks by the number of days per year that featured lightning and thunder phenomena. On the isokeuranic scale of risks, Chennai had an index of 45 and Bangalore 40, while on a State-wide basis, Kerala, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana were among the most prone to lightning. Classically, a high-risk place is determined by a combination of local weather conditions, height of structures or trees and topography. Mr. Nagabhushana recommended using sophisticated instrumentation to map an area for prediction on magnitude, direction and distance of a likely lightning event. As the weather phenomena that sparked off lightning could not be prevented, the best safeguard lay in embedding lightning protection devices in residential and public buildings, said Chandima Gomes, physics lecturer at the University of Colombo. Experts pointed out that lightning protection for buildings was at the bottom of priorities for construction industry as well as the users. While ‘surge protection devices’ could be installed as an add-on to a building, it was most cost-effective to plan for a device before starting construction. Though India had developed fairly good lightning protection standards, the engineering community and the public knew little about these and failed to appreciate spending on protection devices, as an investment for safety, said S. Murali Das, scientist, Atmospheric Sciences Division, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. The workshop was supported by the South Asian Technology Research and Information Center, Sri Lanka.
Printer friendly
page
News:
ePaper |
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | Publications | eBooks | Images | Home |
Copyright © 2007, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
