Pune: Lightning Strikes Apartment In Bavdhan, Stirring Attention and Safety Concerns
Pune: Lightning Strikes Apartment Building, Stirring Attention and Safety Concerns
In the absence of a lightning arrester, Shinde Nagar’s ‘Radhesham’ Apartment endures lightning strikes.
16 April 2024
By Khushi Maheshwari
Bhagyashree Landge was enjoying the brief moments of relief from Pune’s sweltering heat out on her balcony on a rainy Monday evening around 7:30 when small portions of debris from the ceiling above fell down on her. Baffled as anyone would be, it took her a few moments to grasp that lightning had struck the floor right above her.
The first strike of lightning occurred at the top of the building while the second strike occurred between the third and fourth floors of the building. The second strike led to the crumbling and falling of the debris. This was a result of the absence of a lightning arrester in the apartment building.
Pune: Lightning Strikes Apartment In Bavdhan, Stirring Attention and Safety Concerns…
— Pune Pulse (@pulse_pune) April 16, 2024
Bhagyashree Landge was enjoying the brief moments of relief from Pune’s sweltering heat out on her balcony on a rainy Monday evening around 7:30 when small portions of debris from the ceiling… pic.twitter.com/on79murVKe
Describing the sudden impact of the lightning strike as equivalent to a ‘bomb blast’, Bhagyashree also explained how she had initially assumed that lightning had struck on a neighbouring building and not her own, but this misconception vanished when debris fell on her.
Fortunately, there was no harm to anyone’s life and no injury either. However, the building itself has suffered substantial losses. The battery of the lift has been damaged, solar panels have been destroyed and the first lightning strike has created a ditch on the building terrace.
Bhagyashree, who has recently shifted to the building, expressed her surprise at the absence of any lightning protection system or mechanism. She said, “I do not know why there isn’t a lightning arrester in the building; it has been merely six months since we moved to this apartment and we will have a confrontation with the contractor to know why no lightning arrester was installed… This is the first time I have seen lightning strike on a 5 storey building.”
Talks are in the works to address the absence of a lightning arrester or any sort of lightning protection system in the building, but the priority right now is to repair the damages caused by the lightning strike, since a lot of basic necessities have been hampered.
According to the Indian Standard ‘Protection of Buildings and Allied Structures Against Lightning- Code of Conduct’, Pune goes through an average of 22 thunderstorm days annually. As of yet, there is no law that mandates the installation of any lightning protection system in residential and commercial structures. Therefore, it is advisable to be wary of the lightning protection measures available in your own residencies.
