Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The casualties due to the thunderstorm and lighting have been a major issue in Odisha. To solve this problem a Thunderstorm Research Testbed which is a first such facility in India will be introduced in Balasore, Odisha.
Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General informed that to precisely predict the thunderstorm and lightning strikes and save thousands of precious lives the Ministry of Earth-Sciences is preparing to set up a ‘Thunderstorm Research Testbed’ in Balasore, Odisha.
As per reports this facility will be the first sort of research centre in India to foretell the thundering and lighting and will help to save many lives. The ‘Thunderstorm Research Testbed’ centre will be established under the collaboration of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, IMD, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The centre will provide the adequate and latest information on lighting and thunderstorm in Odisha. Observatories will be placed up at Balasore and nearby areas and studies on thunderstorm will be administered at the testbed.
As per the local report Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra regarding the thunderstorm in Odisha said that during April and June Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar witnessed thunderstorm and lighting which leads to lots of casualties and deaths. To save the lives of the citizens there is a need to undertake research that will research so that early information can be distributed.
He also stated that the life span of a thunderstorm ranges between half an hour to 3 hours and it is limited to a particular area. To predict accurately, there is a need to analyse data and improve the numerical model system.
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