The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has established a new centre of excellence — ATMAN (Advanced Technologies for Monitoring Air-quality iNdicators) that will focus on building indigenous low-cost sensor manufacturing and AI/ML capabilities to enhance air quality. 

CoE ATMAN aims to translate sustainable technologies and business models into practical products and services with cutting-edge technology, an IIT Kanpur statement said.

One of the projects under ATMAN, AMRIT, will deploy a dense Sensor Ambient Air Quality Monitor network with 1,400 nodes across rural areas in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Supported by philanthropic entities, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Open Philanthropy and the Clean Air Fund, ATMAN aims to address critical air quality challenges with cutting-edge technology, it added.

This initiative, the institute added, is the first of its kind to monitor air quality comprehensively where data has been limited to cities and towns. The CoE team will be working with the State Pollution Control Board of Bihar and the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of Uttar Pradesh on AMRIT to enhance air quality action in these states.