Category: Environment | Tags: NGT, Bihar, Palm Trees, Lightning, Deforestation, Disaster Management
Published on: June 23, 2025.
What’s the Issue?
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Bihar State Pollution Control Board and the Disaster Management Department, seeking urgent clarification on the mass-scale felling of palm trees across the state.
This action comes in the wake of alarming reports linking the cutting of palm trees to a significant rise in lightning-related deaths in Bihar.
Why Palm Trees Matter
- Palm trees act as natural lightning rods, absorbing and dispersing electric charges from thunderstorms.
- Their removal—especially since the 2016 alcohol prohibition policy, which reduced toddy extraction—has coincided with a 40% drop in tree count and a sharp rise in fatalities.
- Over 2,400 deaths due to lightning have been reported in Bihar since 2016.
Affected Districts
- Aurangabad, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar, and Kaimur
- Most deaths occurred between 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM, the peak lightning window.
What the NGT Is Demanding
- Replies by August 7, 2025
- Explanation on:
- Whether permissions were taken for tree felling
- Measures taken to mitigate lightning fatalities
- Restoration or afforestation efforts initiated
Why This Matters
This is a case study in how ecological mismanagement can lead to unintended human disasters. It shows how policy changes (like prohibition) must be analyzed for their environmental and safety consequences.
UPSC & Educational Relevance
- GS Paper 3: Environment, Disaster Management, Human Safety
- Essay: Balancing ecology and development
- Case Study: Bihar’s palm trees and lightning fatalities
Prelims Booster Facts
| Fact Type | Prelims Point |
|---|---|
| Tree Species | Borassus flabellifer (Palmyra palm or toddy palm) – native to South and East India |
| Lightning Deaths in Bihar | Bihar reported the highest number of lightning deaths in India: 2,400+ since 2016 |
| Constitutional Provision | Forests are a Concurrent Subject – both Centre and State can legislate (Seventh Schedule, List III) |
| Lightning Risk States | Top 3: Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal |
| NGT | Established under National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 – adjudicates environmental disputes |
| Role of Trees | Palmyra palm trees act as natural lightning conductors due to height & sap content |
| Next Hearing | August 7, 2025, as per NGT directive |