Bhubaneswar: Science and Technology department principal secretary and Planning and Convergence special secretary Chithra Arumugam inaugurated a weather station at the Bakul Library in Satyanagar Saturday. The weather station was installed by the US Consulate General, Hyderabad in partnership with the Bronx Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY) in the United States. Chairperson of Department of Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Environmental Sciences at the Bronx Community College of CUNY Neal Phillip, along with Paramita Sen, installed the weather station at the library. Phillip informed young volunteers of Bakul about the features of the weather station and how it could be used. Data from the weather station will be accessible to the public, to heighten awareness on the significance of climate data and climate change. “It will help monitor micro-climate parameters like temperature, air pollution levels, solar radiation, wind, and precipitation among others in the city. This data will be available online for anyone, anywhere to access it,” said a Bakul volunteer.
On the occasion, Salil Kader of the US Consulate said that they usually set up weather stations at universities, but because Bakul works with children and youths from diverse backgrounds, the weather station there has the potential to educate a large number of young people. Arumugam expressed her excitement over the fact that the weather station will contribute to developing a scientific temper in children and youths. She proposed to Bakul to help create 100 little projects on climate science around the weather station involving students of schools and colleges. Sujit Mahapatra of Bakul Foundation informed that Bakul has already created a group of young climate enthusiasts, who are keen on using the weather station for active climate monitoring, and who would mentor school and college children on climate change with the help of the weather station.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP