Lightning reportedly struck a turret of the 460-year-old Holy Spirit Church in Margao, causing some stones to fall onto the courtyard below damaging a scooter in the process. Luckily no one was injured. However damage was done to the formidable façade of the baroque“style church. Lightning also struck a building at Mangor Hill in Vasco damaging it partially and a house at Bogmalo. Be that as it may, it needs to be noted that tall trees are normally found in front of churches in order to attract lightning towards it and away from the metal bell in the belfry. One of the primary reasons coconut trees are effective in mitigating lightning strikes is their high moisture content. This high moisture content acts as a natural conductor, allowing the lightning to pass through the tree and into the ground without causing significant damage to the surrounding structures. In Goa trees are being cut rampantly to make way for tall buildings. Hence high-rise buildings will always be susceptible to lightning strikes. This is probably nature’s way to warn against construction activities at great heights by indulging in hill-cutting and chopping down trees.
