IIT Kanpur develops NSVS system to monitor health of river Ganga

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has developed an Aquatic Autonomous Observatory named Niracara Svayamsasita VedhShala (NSVS), for In situ Monitoring, Real Time Data Transmission and Web based Visualization of the river Ganga.

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A R Harish, the Dean Research and Development, IIT Kanpur inaugurated the NSVS system at the Laxman Ghat of Bithoor on the river Ganges on October 31. The project has been implemented by a team of earth scientists, mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineers from the institute, led by Professor Bishakh Bhattacharya as the Principal Investigator.

“IIT Kanpur’s NSVS system is developed as a low-cost, multi-parameter, water quality monitoring platform that would consist of an array of sensors and auto sampler placed on a stationary platform which is semi-submersible, all-weather, robust, and perfectly stable,” a statement from IIT Kanpur said.

The NSVS system can sense three important parameters - pH, conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen capacity of water. This can be further utilized to estimate Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), specific gravity and presence of metallic ions in water.

IIT Kanpur's NSVS system at river Ganga

IIT Kanpur has also recently launched a ‘Ganga Atlas’ and a workflow that allows users to process and analyse declassified imagery of riverine environments at minimal cost, using open-source software.

Besides, the institute has also signed an agreement with the Delhi government to check Delhi’s air pollution.

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Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said: “The Ganga is not just a river but a cultural heritage for us, and therefore it is our responsibility to safeguard it from any harm. IIT Kanpur has been doing rigorous research and developing various mechanisms to study the ecosystem of the Ganga and the impact of climate change on it. I congratulate the team led by Bishakh Bhattacharya on the inauguration of the NSVS system, which will ensure real-time, in-situ monitoring of the river Ganga for ensuring its good health.”