S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Madras established a state-of-the-art Natural Aerosol and Bioaerosol High Altitude Laboratory at Munnar in Kerala.
IIT Madras established the facility with help of College of Engineering Munnar and Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Kerala, with support from Sharp Business System (India) Pvt. Ltd.
The moment for IIT Madras turned special when the monitoring facility was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan.
IIT Madras established the facility to gain better understanding of atmospheric and climate related aspects of the region with special emphasis on aerosol measurements.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between IIT Madras and the Institute for Climate Change Studies (Kottayam) for the exchange of scientific ideas and capacity building in the area of climate change.
The function to inaugurate the high altitude laboratory saw the presence of representatives of IIT Madras and College of Engineering Munnar.
IIT Madras establishes great monitoring facility
MLA of Devikulam S. Rajendran, Scientific advisor to Chief Minister of Kerala M. Chandradathan and Professor K.P. Sudheer, executive vice president of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment also graced the occasion.
Kerala Chief Minister said the strategic location of the proposed laboratory is very important to understand the important aspects of the monsoon, which has shown an increasing trend and frequency of extreme rainfall events due to climate change and global warming.
We have experienced devastating floods and landslides in our State over the last few years.
I request scientists to make the best use of this facility to study whether the increasing human activities have any role in such incidents, he said speaking during the inauguration of laboratory of IIT Madras.
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Though there are several high altitude atmospheric and climate science laboratories in the country, this facility by IIT Madras contains several unique features.
IIT-Madras intends to open this facility to the national and international community to perform the measurements of their interest.
Professor K.P. Sudheer said this laboratory is the result of a long-term association between IIT Madras and the College of Engineering Munnar.
The upcoming measurement of aerosol properties and meteorological parameters is a very important step forward, he said.
The laboratory established by IIT Madras and others is located at 1,600 meters above mean sea level and about 90 kms from the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala, this Natural Aerosol and Bioaerosol High Altitude Laboratory is situated in the College of Engineering Munnar premises.
It will host state-of-the-art high-end aerosol, gas-phase and atmospheric measurement instruments.
Professor Ravindra Gettu, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras said IIT Madras is very happy to have successfully established this laboratory.
The strategic location of the laboratory and unique climate in this region will help attract more international collaboration, he said.
IIT Madras further plans to strengthen the use and the facilities at this laboratory by establishing collaboration with reputed national and international institutions and universities known for climate change and earth system science studies.
Dr. Sachin S. Gunthe, Coordinator of the Laboratory and Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras said they are in a special location due to the contrasting seasons when the air mass is clean during monsoon and relatively polluted during winter.
This provides a unique opportunity to study the impact of changing aerosol properties on cloud and rainfall forming processes, he said.
About IIT Madras
IIT Madras was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’
The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres.
The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations.
IITM is a residential institute with more than 580 faculty and 9,500 students.
Students from 18 countries are enrolled here.
IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IIT Madras Incubation Cell.
IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ category for the second consecutive year in India ranking 2020 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Government of India.
The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for five consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019 and 2020.
ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.