All 18 lightning arresters in Sylhet haors nonfunctional?

SYLHET, Apr 22: A total of 18 lightning arresters were installed in six upazilas of Sunamganj district costing several of crores of taka in 2023; yet there is no information that any of the devices could have prevented a single incident of lightning strike so far.
In view of that, doubts are growing among the locals about the effectiveness of the devices.
A number of local inhabitants of the vast haor region lament that public opinions were not taken into consideration while determining locations for the lightning arresters.
Even those concerned did not hold any discussions with the common people at the field level. Besides, the devices were not installed in the areas at the number sanctioned.
Even a single of the devices installed does not seem to be working properly.
Lightning strikes during the monsoon season are now a deadly threat in the haor-dominated Sunamganj district as we as Habiganj and Sylhet districts.
The number of deaths due to lightning strikes, especially during the harvesting of Boro paddy, is increasing every year. According to the official figures, 70 people have died in this region due to lightning strikes in the last four years (2022-26) till April 18, 2026.
According to the private-sector statistics, the number will be higher. After declaring lightning a natural disaster, the government took up a project to install lightning rods in Sunamganj.
As the number of deaths due to lightning in the haor increased day by day, 18 long lightning rods were installed in six upazilas of the Sunamganj district in 2023 through the Disaster Management Department.
Of these, four rods were installed in Sunamganj Sadar Upazila, three in Tahirpur, three in Bishwambharpur, three in Jamalganj, three in Dharmapasha and two in Shalla upazila.
Each rod cost Tk 0.6millon for installation. It was reported that if lightning strikes occur within a range of 100 square meters around each rod, the device called lightning arrester installed on the head of the rod will pull it and send it to the ground.
Not only will it prevent it, but the device, imported from Turkey, will also count how many lightning strikes have occurred in that place in a year, said an official.
However, even after two years of installation, those rods have not indicated whether there has been any lightning strike in their vicinity. The authorities do not even know whether the lightning rods are operational or not.
Sources said that the District Relief and Rehabilitation Office has installed three rods in Tahirpur, adding that no such device was installed in Matian Haor.
Two each have been installed in Shanir Haor and Ward No. 5 of Tahirpur Sadar union.
Locals like Sabbir Alam of Tahirpur believe that there was a mistake in the location selection.
If the rods were installed in the middle of the haor, they would have been of some use. After investigation, it was found that lightning rods were not installed in the middle of the haor, that is in remote areas, in other upazilas of the district; due to which risk remains everywhere in the haor.
While installing the lightning rods, Project Engineer Salah Uddin had said that the lightning arresters, installed in Sunamganj, will prevent lightning strikes over an area of 300 feet and send them to the ground.
At the same time, it will keep a record of how many lightning strikes there have been in that place.
The Water Development Board (WDB) also planned to install 400 lightning rods in the haor in 2023. But it was not implemented.
Mamun Hawlader, executive engineer of the WDB, said that a plan was taken to prevent lightning strikes. But later it was not implemented.
A comprehensive programme should be taken as soon as possible considering the huge loss of lives in the vast haor region during monsoon every year, locals believe.
forsylhet@gmail.com