SOA parteners with Odisha-based start-up for improving air quality

Bhubaneswar: 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.