Berhampur/Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: The Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, will set up the Bay of Bengal Coastal Observatory and Innovation Centre in Ganjam district.
The centre assumes significance, as Odisha continues to be prone to disasters such as cyclone and erratic weather conditions. The observatory will be able to predict tropical cyclone, rise in sea level and extreme weather events, besides monsoon variability, regional climate variability and other climatic conditions. It will observe, analyse and disseminate geo-physical data about the sea. Besides, it will study the cause of the sea soil erosion, movement of olive ridley sea turtles in the Bay of Bengal and help to increase fish catch, said experts.
With the completion of the innovation centre, extreme weather conditions can be studied and data about the sea behaviour and numerous other details such as the physical, chemical, biological and geo-scientific can be collected.
"The centre also aims to generate highly skilled and competent human resources for research in the fields of earth system sciences and climate change," said IIT Bhubaneswar director R.V. Raja Kumar.
"We will shortly organise workshops on rare earth materials and ocean sciences at Gopalpur. Experts from across the globe will take part in it," he said.
Berhampur MP Siddhanta Mahapatra announced opening of the centre during his recent visit to the district. He also discussed the matter with stakeholders and said: "I am glad that this centre is coming up in my Lok Sabha constituency."
Earlier, the project had been supposed to come up on 35 acres at Seepasarubali village in Puri. However, the state government later decided to shift it to Ganjam - the home district of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. "The allotted area at Gopalpur is sea facing and convenient for the study of waves and the sea. In addition, the area has facilities for jetties that will be required during research," said an official of IIT Bhubaneswar.
"The state government has identified 40 acres for the centre at Laudigaon village under Kanisi tehsil. The land transfer has already started," said Ganjam collector Prem Chandra Chowdhary. The agreement to set up the Rs 140-crore observatory was signed between the IIT and the ministry of earth science in August last year, and the ministry has already released Rs 9.23 crore for the project.
The IIT Bhubaneswar is working closely with the University of Massachusetts and the University of Southampton to set up the centre. The universities will collaborate to provide their expertise on the subject and conduct Ocean Instrumentation Training Programme to equip IIT staff members to handle the advanced instruments at the observatory.
Earlier this year, students from the school of earth, ocean and climate sciences of the IIT Bhubaneswar had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in collecting data for oceanographic research at the International Indian Ocean Expedition undertaken in the Bay of Bengal. The students were involved in collecting basin scale upper ocean measurements. Similarly, another team of students and faculty members from the IIT is getting ready to shortly take part in ocean expedition in the northern Bay of Bengal.
Berhampur University's marine science head Kali Charan Sahu said: "The people of this region would be largely benefited by this centre, and we welcome it. We will able to get data on coastal erosion, cyclone and climatic condition through various expensive instruments, including data buoy, scientific cruise vessels such as Sagar Kanya, Sagar Nidhi and others. These cruise vessels are now frequently used in western coast of India (Arabian Sea). Odisha and especially the south Odisha region was neglected with this research earlier."
The varsity's marine science students, who have excelled in their performance outside, can co-operate in the research initiatives, he said.
Secretary of Rushikulya Royat Mahasabha, a farmers' organisation, Simanchal Nahak said: "The data derived by the centre would help the farmers and help them in farming."
