Visakhapatnam: A state-of-the-art coastal atmospheric research testbed (C-ART), equipped with modern instruments worth ₹60 crore, has been established at Andhra University (AU) by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous institute under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, to strengthen weather forecasting and climate research.
The facility was inaugurated on Friday by M. Ravichandran, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, in the presence of AU vice-chancellor Prof G.P. Raja Sekhar and IITM director Suryachandra Rao. Andhra University has provided land on its campus for the open-field meteorological observatory to enable collaborative research.
The initiative is part of Mission Mausam, a national programme aimed at strengthening observational networks and improving model-based weather prediction.
Addressing the gathering, Ravichandran said rapidly changing local weather conditions due to climate change necessitate advanced research infrastructure. He said the facility would soon be recognised as the “Andhra University Research Testbed” and stressed the importance of field-level observations. He urged students to take responsibility for individual instruments, understand their functioning and analyse data variations.
He said data generated at the testbed would improve predictive models and enhance the accuracy of weather forecasts, particularly in coastal regions. He also announced that additional instruments would be installed and emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between academic and research institutions.
Suryachandra Rao described Visakhapatnam as an emerging scientific hub and said the testbed would help make India a “climate-ready” nation by studying interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and land. Highlighting the city’s strategic location, he noted that it is often the first to face cyclones from the Bay of Bengal and monsoon impacts.
He said similar testbeds are operational in Bhopal, Mumbai and Mahabaleshwar, with another planned in Chennai. Advanced instruments such as Polarisation Lidar, Wind Lidar and Doppler Radar will aid cyclone intensity estimation and strengthen early warning systems for fishermen, farmers and disaster management agencies.
Vice-chancellor Raja Sekhar said the collaboration would significantly enhance AU’s capacity to issue early warnings for cyclones and other natural calamities. He added that such partnerships would expand research opportunities for faculty and scholars and help increase PhD output.
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