Three lightening protection towers have been constructed at Makwanpurgadhi Rural Municipality in Makwanpur. The towers were jointly built by Makwanpurgadhi Rural Municipality and USAID in a bid to minimise lightening related casualties, said Bidur Humagain, chairman of the rural municipality.

The towers have been constructed at Aambhanjyang, Chuwar and Nayagaun. 

After the towers were built, the properties and lives have not been destroyed, said Humagain. 

Earlier, lightening strikes in the region used to kill at least eight people every year. In whole of Makwanpur, lightning incidents had killed 27 people last year. The casualty numbers due to lightning in Makwanpurgadhi have gone down after the towers were constructed, Humagain said.

Locals have been given the responsibility of maintaining the three towers that protect 800 households in the region.Humagain said they planned to make the entire rural municipality “lightning-proof”.