Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: IIT Bhubaneswar has taken a major step towards realising its dream to build a Rs 140-crore centre to monitor ocean, earth and climatic systems.

Billed as the first of its kind centre in the country, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the proposed Bay of Bengal Coastal Ocean Observatory has been signed by IIT Bhubaneswar director R.V. Raja Kumar and secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences, Shailesh Naik earlier this week.

In the first phase, the ministry has approved a total grant of Rs 9.23 crore for the observatory.

The facility will be able to predict tropical cyclone, rise in sea level, extreme weather events, besides monsoon and regional climate variability and other extreme conditions.

The structure will come up on 35 acres at Seepasarubali village in Puri.

"The site is sea facing and convenient for the study of waves and sea. In addition, the area has facilities to anchor boats that would be used for research," said a senior IIT official.

Besides observing, analysing and disseminating geo-physical data about the ocean, the centre aims to generate highly skilled and competent human resources for research in the fields of earth system sciences and climate change.

International institutes such Scripps Research Institute, University of Southampton, and Rutgers University will collaborate with IIT Bhubaneswar for research.

Such a centre assumes significance because Odisha continues to be prone to disasters such as cyclone.