A university that is truly connected to society has a responsibility to understand the changing needs of society and respond with knowledge, innovation, and timely action. With this vision, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala is taking an important step towards protecting public health by developing an Advanced Mobile Air Quality Monitoring System.
In recent years, the State has witnessed several incidents that have seriously affected air quality. Industrial accidents, landfill fires, forest fires, structural fires, and increasing vehicular emissions have become more frequent. The Brahmapuram fire was an alarming reminder of how quickly air pollution can spread and how difficult it is to assess its impact in real time. Smoke from such incidents contains fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and other harmful pollutants that can travel long distances, affecting thousands of people.
Knowing what is in the air, and how it changes from one place to another, is crucial during such emergencies. However, Kerala’s existing air quality monitoring network is largely based on stationary stations. While these systems are valuable for routine monitoring, they are not designed to respond quickly to rapidly changing situations such as large fires. They provide information only from fixed locations, making it difficult to understand how pollution spreads across affected areas.
The University already operates a Mobile Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (MAAQMS), which has been used in several environmental studies. During the Brahmapuram fire, the system was deployed as part of the monitoring efforts coordinated by the State Disaster Management Authority. That experience highlighted the need for a more advanced and flexible system capable of collecting data simultaneously from multiple locations.
The proposed facility is designed to meet that need. It will combine portable high-precision air quality monitoring stations, handheld sensors, drone-based monitoring, and a mobile control room into a single integrated platform. When an emergency occurs, the entire system can be deployed to the affected area. Portable monitoring stations will be positioned at different locations around the site, while handheld sensors and drones begin immediate monitoring. As data is transmitted continuously to the mobile control room, scientists will be able to analyse air quality in real time and provide reliable information to emergency responders and government agencies.
The system will monitor key pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and volatile organic compounds, along with important meteorological parameters that influence the movement of pollutants. The mobile unit will also be equipped with GPS, communication systems, and telemetry technology, allowing data to be viewed remotely whenever required.
Beyond emergency response, the facility will strengthen research on air pollution and climate, support government agencies in environmental management, and help create greater public awareness about air quality and health. It will also serve as a valuable resource for students and researchers working in environmental science and disaster management.
The project is implemented with the financial aid from State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) through the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority under the leadership of Dr. Mahesh Mohan, Associate Professor & Director, School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
