Mission Mausam: Andhra University to host Rs 180 crore coastal research testbed

Visakhapatnam: Andhra University will soon host a Rs 180 crore Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART) of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune (IITM). The initiative is part of Mission Mausam, a flagship programme of the Union ministry of earth sciences. While the first phase of atmospheric instruments, worth Rs 60 crore, has recently been installed at Andhra University, the university signed a memorandum of understanding for the second phase of the project during its centenary celebrations on April 27. The second phase works are expected to be completed in the next one year. As part of the initiative, an open-field observatory was inaugurated on the Andhra University campus on Friday. Ministry of earth sciences secretary Dr M Ravichandran and IITM director Dr A Suryachandra Rao attended the inauguration.According to officials, the Rs 180 crore facility will serve as a coastal research platform, equipped with advanced instruments. It is expected to significantly enhance monitoring, research, and early warning of extreme weather events along the east coast. IITM director Dr Suryachandra Rao said that while their facility in central India, near Bhopal, monitors the progression of the monsoon, the coastal facility in Visakhapatnam will focus on the arrival and evolution of weather systems. "We also operate two facilities on the west coast – one in Mumbai, known as an urban mesonet testbed, and another in Mahabaleshwar, dedicated to high-altitude cloud physics research. In addition, we are establishing an urban testbed in Chennai. At Visakhapatnam, we aim to study the marine boundary layer, sea breeze dynamics, and the influence of the Eastern Ghats on coastal air masses," said Dr Rao. "This testbed includes a suite of state-of-the-art instruments. In-situ instruments such as an aerosol mass spectrometer, a cloud condensation nuclei counter, and a photometer provide detailed characterisation of aerosols down to nanometre scales. Future instrumentation will include wind LIDAR, Doppler weather radar, and phased-array radar systems. These tools will not only enhance our understanding of atmospheric processes but also improve the prediction of extreme weather events. High-resolution observations from this testbed will be integrated into national forecasting models, improving cyclone intensification forecasts and enabling better nowcasting of extreme coastal weather," added the IITM director. AU vice-chancellor Prof GP Rajasekhar said that Rs 60 crore worth of equipment has already been installed under this project. "During the centenary celebrations, we formalised a limited number of MoUs. One of the MoUs is with IITM, while the other is with Oxmiq Labs, focusing on an AI-driven Centre of Excellence. By combining advanced AI models with the large datasets generated and curated by this testbed facility, we can significantly enhance our analytical and predictive capabilities," said Prof Rajasekhar. Ministry of earth sciences secretary M Ravichandran said that weather patterns vary across different places and times and are changing further due to climate change and other factors "Therefore, there is a pressing need to deepen our understanding of these dynamics. I am confident that this testbed will ultimately strengthen our forecasting capabilities for tropical weather systems," said Dr Ravichandran.