Latest news with #IITBhubaneswar


Time of India
23-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
IIT study challenges urban pollution assumptions
1 2 Bhubaneswar: Normally, cities are regarded as pollution hotspots, with elevated pollution levels compared to surrounding non-urban regions — a pattern commonly known as the 'urban pollution dome' or 'urban pollution island' effect. However, a recent study by IIT Bhubaneswar found that this pattern does not hold true in many northern Indian cities. "Instead of a concentrated urban pollution dome, these cities display a 'clean island' effect, or what the researchers describe as a 'punctured pollution dome', where the city centres are, unexpectedly, relatively cleaner than the heavily polluted surrounding areas," stated the study, published in the scientific journal Nature. Researchers V Vinoj, asssociate professor at the school of earth, ocean and climate sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar, and research scholar Soumya Satyakanta Sethi attributed this unexpected pattern to an 'invisible barrier' formed by city's tall buildings and uneven structures, which slows down wind. "This limits pollutant dispersion, causing pollution to accumulate within the city and form a typical urban pollution dome. However, this same barrier can also prevent polluted air from outside the city from entering. As a result, in some cases, pollution builds up in areas surrounding the city, making the city centre appear relatively cleaner," said Vinoj. Based on two decades of high-resolution aerosol data across 141 Indian cities, the study found that southern cities — less affected by pollution transported from afar — exhibit classic domes with more pollution inside. In contrast, cities in northern and northwestern India, particularly those in the Indo-Gangetic plain, experience heavy regional and long-range pollution, such as dust. There, the city's barrier blocks incoming pollutants, causing them to accumulate in surrounding non-urban areas and forming what the researchers describe as "clean air domes. " The study stated that around 57% of cities exhibited urban aerosol pollution islands, while the remaining 43% showed urban aerosol clean islands. "Delhi and Mumbai are pollution islands normally, but they become clean islands whenever high dust is transported to the surrounding areas of these cities due to various reasons," said Vinoj. Bhubaneswar, on the other hand, remains a pollution island even when high dust is transported to surrounding areas, he added. These findings challenge long-standing assumptions about urban air pollution — particularly the notion that transported aerosols simply add up over cities and uniformly degrade air quality. The study also highlights that monitoring air pollution solely at city boundaries may provide an incomplete picture, as the actual dynamics involve a complex interplay of local emissions, regional transport, microclimatic effects, and atmospheric processes. "Uncovering these hidden atmospheric dynamics is only the beginning. Achieving truly sustainable and climate-resilient cities requires a deeper, integrated understanding of how urban environments interact with atmospheric processes," the researchers concluded.


The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Some cities in northwest, northern Indo-Gangetic Plain shielded from long-range aerosol pollution
A study of 141 cities in India from 2003 to 2020 using satellite-retrieved aerosol data reveals a surprise — aerosol levels were significantly high in 57% of cities compared with the surrounding areas outside the city in south and southeast India, while the converse was true in the case of 43% of cities in northwest and northern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region where the aerosol levels were relatively lower in the cities compared with the surrounding areas. Researchers at the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar, refer to the cities in south and southeast India that show higher aerosol levels than the surrounding areas as Urban Aerosol Pollution Islands. And cities that show relatively lower aerosol levels compared with the surrounding areas are referred to as Urban Aerosol Clean Islands. In the case of cities referred to as urban aerosol clean islands, the aerosol levels were not uniformly higher in the surrounding areas compared with the city. Instead, the levels were higher in the areas southwest of the city, which are located upstream of the dust flow, while the northeast side of the city located downstream of the dust flow showed less aerosol levels which almost matched the levels seen in the city. 'Aerosol coming from outside wasn't adding to the pollution already seen in the cities that we refer to as urban aerosol clean islands. Instead, the cities in northwest and in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain region were stopping or diverting the incoming aerosol and moving it around the city. We observed areas upstream of the aerosol flow had more aerosol load than the city, while the areas northeast of the city that were located downstream of the flow had less aerosol load. It is a trail going actually downwind for some distance,' says Dr. V. Vinoj from IIT Bhubaneswar, and the corresponding author of a paper published on July 16, 2025 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. 'We didn't expect this.' 'North Indian cities, despite being blamed for poor air quality, are found to have no consistent 'pollution domes'. Instead, we observed urban clean islands —zones with relatively lower aerosol levels than surrounding areas. We hypothesise this unexpected pattern to be linked to a phenomenon known as urban wind stilling effect,' he said. Wind stilling effect Wind stilling effect refers to a weakening of surface winds across highly urbanised cities where the buildings and infrastructure reshape local climates, creating zones of atmospheric stagnation. These zones collectively lead to invisible barriers around the city (in the upwind regions), partially blocking the entry of long-range aerosol pollution, especially mineral dust from the nearby arid regions. Also, cities located in regions with high background pollution tend to slow down the transport of pollutants from outside the city, like the dust from Thar desert or aerosol from biomass burning that are transported from elsewhere. This results in cities having relatively less aerosol loading than the surrounding areas. 'While external sources still contribute to pollution, this barrier alters how pollutants accumulate and disperse, leading to a deceptive pocket of cleaner air within the city and its downwind regions. In contrast, southern Indian cities, with less influence from transported dust and different meteorology, show traditional pollution domes,' Dr. Vinoj explains. Less aerosol load According to Soumya Sethi, a Ph.D. scholar and the first author of the paper, the study makes it clear that the proposed barrier effect seen in cities does not eliminate pollutant transport into the city but only slows down the transport. In the process, the cities in the northwest and northern Indo-Gangetic Plain have relatively less aerosol load while the surrounding areas witness an increase in pollutant build up. The reason why cities in southern India do not have urban aerosol clean islands is because southern cities don't have any large source of pollutants coming from elsewhere to create a large aerosol background, which will allow us to see this rather invisible dome effect. Instead, we see the urban pollution island because cities are still the dominant source of pollutants, says Dr. Vinoj. The urban clean island effect was not studied during monsoon due to non-availability of data due to clouds and rain. The study looked at data for other seasons but found the urban clean islands effect was pronounced and clearly observable only during the pre-monsoon period. During other seasons, a large amount of dust or other sources of aerosols being transported long distances is not seen, making it difficult to see the urban aerosol clean islands effect clearly. 'The pre-monsoon time is when the signature is clear, and the urban clean islands effect becomes clearly visible,' he said. The urban clean island effect normally disappears during the post-monsoon but is again seen during winter because of dry conditions but not to the extent that is seen during the pre-monsoon period. Invisible barrier The study looked at the high dust case and no dust scenario and found the urban clean island effect became pronounced in many cities in northwest and northern Indo-Gangetic Plain in high dust case but not in the no dust scenario. 'Our hypothesis is that, irrespective of the season, whenever less transport of aerosol or pollution is happening, you will see urban pollution islands. But whenever the pollution transport from outside is enhanced, you will see a clean island effect,' Dr. Vinoj said. 'There is an invisible barrier that was not noticed earlier. This barrier is seen only when aerosols from biomass burning or dust are transported from elsewhere.' In fact, a few studies carried out over global megacities such as Shanghai, Atlanta and a few European cities have observed clean islands, but attributed it to emissions in suburban regions. 'These findings, we feel, challenge conventional understanding that long-range transported aerosols will always lead to more pollution over the cities and underscore the need for deeper scientific understanding into how urban growth and evolving micro-climates influence air pollution and its spatial patterns. Therefore, building truly sustainable, climate-resilient cities will depend on our ability to understand and anticipate these complex interactions as cities continue to expand,' he added.


Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
HC questions irregularities in preparing DPRs of Cuttack drain project
1 2 Cuttack: Orissa high court has taken serious note of irregularities in the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) related to the Rs 335.42 crore branch surface water channel (BSWC) drain project in Cuttack. A division bench of Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh, while hearing the matter on July 11, came down heavily on the housing and urban development department and noted with concern that the DPRs submitted by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) were neither authenticated nor bore the names of officials involved in their preparation. The court termed the lapses as "startling". The bench also questioned how a Bhubaneswar-based private consultancy firm came to represent the city engineer (CMC) during a crucial meeting held on April 30. "There is nothing on record to indicate how the private company could represent a govt official," the court observed. "The lackadaisical manner in which the entire project is being handled is tell-tale," the bench remarked and directed the secretary of the department to file an affidavit by July 21, clarifying the appointment of the firm, reasons for overlooking IIT Bhubaneswar, and whether any departmental or vigilance inquiry is being initiated into the handling of the project. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The engineer has also been directed to submit a separate affidavit detailing the basis for involving the firm and referring the DPRs to Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla. The matter pertains to the proposed construction of five BSWC drains in the city. Despite a decision taken in Dec 2023 to consult IIT Bhubaneswar for an expert review of the DPRs, the documents were sent instead to VSSUT. The shift was based on a communication dated June 17 this year from the firm. "It does not stand to reason how the govt's direction to consult IIT Bhubaneswar, keeping in mind the hydraulic analysis required, was ignored," the bench stated. When questioned by the court, the engineer assured the revised DPRs would be submitted by July 25. However, the judges noted the absence of any explanation as to why the firm was involved and why the IIT's expertise was bypassed.


NDTV
06-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
IIT Bhubaneswar Integrated Teacher Education Program Merit List Released, Direct Link Here
IIT Bhubaneswar ITEP 2025 Merit List: The Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar has released the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) merit list for the first round admissions, today, July 6, 2025. Candidates who applied for admission can check and download the merit list on the official website, Admission to ITEP at IIT, Bhubaneswar is based on the candidates' National Common Entrance Test (NCET) scores. IIT ITEP Merit List: How To Download ITEP Merit List? Visit the official website, On the homepage, click on "List of Candidates Selected In The First Round of Admission" The merit list will be automatically downloaded. Save the merit list for futures reference. The merit list contains the name of the candidate, NCET Roll number, application number, the major that they have been allotted and the category. ITEP by IIT, Bhubaneswar is a four year dual program leading to a with or B.A. with designed to prepare future teachers with the skills and knowledge required by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Here is the direct link to download the " ITEP Merit List 2025".


India Today
24-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Not just coders, India needs other engineers too: IIT directors
In a recent panel at IIT Madras, directors of five IITs warned of the growing 'herd mentality' amongst students and parents fixated on Computer Science Engineering (CSE). They stressed that India urgently needs talent across other critical sectors to fuel growth and trend is driven by lucrative starting salaries in software roles, noted Shreepad Karmalkar of IITBhubaneswar: 'This herd mentality needs to be gotten rid of.' He pointed out that students often make choices based on perceived financial outcomes, rather than national or societal that focus leaves key industries—such as semiconductors, batteries, materials, chemicals and sustainability—understaffed and FOR A BROADER ENGINEERING VISION V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, said, 'The country needs toppers in civil services. Only then can technology reach the common man and solve problems.' He stressed that India's technological progress requires well-rounded leadership in governance, not just in (IITTirupati) said a 'big vacuum' exists in sunrise sectors like batteries and semiconductors, making chemical and materials engineers truly 'the need of the hour.'BSMurty of IITHyderabad urged students to put national interest above personal gain, while VenkappayyaRDesai (IITDharwad) encouraged creative efforts aimed at societal ENGINEERING EDUCATIONPanel members stressed that 21stcentury engineering education must evolve. They advocated:Greater interdisciplinary learning, combining core engineering with computer science, AI and academicindustry partnerships to ensure realworld inclusivity to bring in students from varied socioeconomic DIVERSITY OF SKILLS MATTERSFocusing solely on CSE risks neglecting crucial sectors where India must build global capacity—particularly semiconductors, batteries, chemicals and materials science. This could hamper the country's competitiveness in key future panel's unanimous message was clear: while computer science has its place, India's future depends on nurturing engineers across all disciplines. Students and parents should choose based on passion and national needs—not just salaries.- Ends