By Arindam Ganguly, OP
Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar has become the first city in India where residents can check the climate risks facing their neighbourhoods, down to individual buildings, on a single open platform. The Bhubaneswar Climate Digital Twin was launched in Bhubaneswar Friday by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu.
Sahu launched the digital model of the city, which continuously updates itself with new data, while inaugurating the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo. Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra was also present.
The platform was developed by BMC, with technical support from GIZ India under the SUM-ACA project of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It is available at climate.bmc.gov.in, requires no login and can be accessed on any phone, tablet or computer.
Until now, residents have generally relied on a single Air Quality Index (AQI) reading, temperature figure or rainfall warning for the entire city. However, heat, air pollution and flooding vary across Bhubaneswar. Two streets in the same ward can experience temperatures several degrees apart, while one lane may flood even as the next remains dry.
On the eve of the launch, at 10 pm October 22, BMC sensors recorded an AQI of 96 at Master Canteen and 255 near Kalinga Hospital. The readings highlighted the stark difference in air quality between two locations in the same city at the same time.
The Bhubaneswar Climate Digital Twin maps these variations across the city’s 167 sq km, covering 67 wards and 204 neighbourhoods. It includes about 2,77,000 buildings, more than 2,000 km of roads and over 2,100 public facilities. Users can click on any building to view location-specific estimates of heat, flood and air-pollution risks.
