Bhubaneswar, June 27: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here
has partnered with Aurassure Private Ltd, an Odisha-based start-up, for deployment of
state-of-the-art sensor-based weather and air quality monitoring devices in its campus.
Aurassure has launched a program styled as University Clean Air Network (UCAN),
an initiative aimed at developing a network of universities dedicated to monitoring and
improving air quality and weather across the state for climate-based research projects,
the company’s Chief Operating Officer Mr. Satyanarayan Bishoyi said.
One device has been installed in the campus of Institute of Technical Education and
Research (ITER), SOA’s faculty of engineering and technology, which will provide real time
data on various air quality and weather parameters, including particulate matter, relative
humidity and ambient temperature. The sensor will measure weather conditions, offering
comprehensive environmental insights which can help formulate effective policy and
create community awareness, Mr. Bishoyi said.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this connection was signed between
SOA and Aurassure on Tuesday. SOA’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda signed
the MoU while Mr. Bishoyi did so for Aurassure.
“We are happy to be part of Aurassure’s UCAN initiative as it aligns with our
commitment to sustainability and empowers students and researchers with necessary
tools to study and address environmental challenges,” Dr. Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of
SOA’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC), said.
Mr. Bishoyi said Aurassure’s UCAN initiative aimed to tie-up with around 25
universities in Odisha and install the devices in those campuses. SOA is the first university
where we have installed the device and signed the MoU, he added.
The device will provide data about particulate matter, temperature, humidity and
other environment parameters and gaseous pollutants in the air like Nitrogen Oxide,
Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide, he said.
“The UCAN initiative is driven by the urgent and multifaceted challenges posed by
air pollution and climate change. It aims to bridge the gap between industry and
academia by establishing a robust network of universities which can collaborate on real
time air quality monitoring, research and actionable solutions,” Mr. Asutosh Acharya,
Aurassure’s Chief Climate Scientist, said.