CSTEP updates (from August to October 2026)

Rainmatter Partner Updates
1

On Energy and Buildings

  • CSTEP signed a 5-year MoU with the Government of Odisha to co-develop the SAFARI model for the state to assist in transition planning. This will include embedding the modelling tool within the Energy Department of the state.

  • CSTEP is anchoring discussions on carbon-neutral Karnataka as a member of the recently established Net-Zero Task Force, using the modelling framework developed previously.

  • We are continuing to work with Nirmithi Kendras across the state to promote low-carbon construction practices, including through the Villages of Opportunities project with the Nirmithi Kendra in Mandya.

  • We submitted the WCAP reports to Smt Shilpa Nag C T, IAS, Special Commissioner, FECCM, GBA, and continue to hold monthly meetings to ensure that the corporations implement the recommended actions.

  • Events:

  1. Accelerator session at the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) on Accelerating Circularity and Digital Innovation for the Built Environment WCEF2026 Accelerator Session
  2. Bangalore Climate Data Week on 12 October 2026 From Silos to Systems: Decision Support Tools for Subnational Climate Action

On Water

  • Climate-Resilient Strategies for Urban Floods and Heat Hazards in Assam: The Project seeks to integrate climate risk into urban planning. The work aims to use low-cost sensors to monitor flood levels in cities and co-create digital decision-support tools for climate risk-informed urban planning. Further, CSTEP will also help the Town & Country Planning (T&CP) Commission generate bottom-up evidence from Silchar and Dibrugarh to guide statewide climate integration.
  1. Project milestone-related activities: The team has identified the datasets required from each of the line departments under the District Commission. The list of datasets has been shared with the Additional Directors, T&CP, of both cities. Discussion is ongoing regarding data availability and sharing. The team has also collated and discussed a detailed list of climate exposure and vulnerability indicators.
  2. 11 September 2026: The first internal review meeting with Praschaya Kaushik, Deputy Director, Department of Housing & Urban Affairs, Assam, was held in October to take stock of the progress on the multi-hazard (heat and flood) risk mapping for Silchar and Dibrugarh. CSTEP presented an update on the indicator framework developed so far and flagged the need to collect primary data to populate the vulnerability indicators, for which it is exploring engagement with a third-party survey agency. Discussions also covered data-sharing arrangements, including confirmation from GeoGIS data on the data availability for Silchar, and a proposed approach using gram panchayat / village boundaries to resolve inconsistencies in the ward boundaries of the cities’ master plans. CSTEP also outlined a planned pilot demonstration for heat resilience implementation to be taken up in parallel with the core deliverables once the underlying climate risk layers are in place. The follow-up review meeting was scheduled in October to track continued progress.

  • Springs Project: The project covers Springshed Management in Himachal Pradesh, where CSTEP along with Himachal Pradesh Forest Department (HPFD) will map and conduct hazard-related risk assessment of springs and springsheds in selected divisions of the state. The team will also support HPFD in its springshed management efforts by developing EbA-based spring revival and conservation plans and help undertake action research in the selected springsheds using spring monitoring infrastructure. CSTEP will also establish a digital decision support system and conduct capacity-building exercises for Himachal Pradesh Forest Department staff and other line departments to strengthen their skills and knowledge so that they can carry out spring revival initiatives on their own.

  • Project Update: The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, has shown interest in signing the Springs-DSS MoU with CSTEP by the end of October.

  • Water Project

  1. Site visits: The team conducted the final two key field visits to study sectoral water management practices. First, the team visited an automotive parts manufacturing unit in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, to learn about industrial water circularity, ESG compliance, and related operational challenges. Second, the team visited a super-specialty hospital in Whitefield, Bengaluru, to examine campus-scale water circularity and waste management. The visit covered the facility’s water-balance mechanisms, wastewater treatment plants, general and biomedical waste handling, CSR initiatives (such as Flexgen IoT monitoring and United Way of Bengaluru’s percolation wells), and an on-site nutri-garden for the hospital canteens.
  2. Reporting: The team has begun drafting the comprehensive technical report, consolidating insights across all preceding project phases.

On Air Quality

  • Bengaluru Urban Sensor Deployment Plan: A scientific methodology for planning a multipollutant sensor network over Bengaluru was developed. The algorithm uses satellite-derived pollution measurements, ground-based data from CSTEP’s AirNET and CPCB, major industrial locations, road networks, waste-burning locations, active construction sites, population density, and school locations. The methodology was developed to ensure that it covers the entire urban area and is useful for the community. Once deployed, the dense sensor network will identify new pollution hotspots not captured by the existing sparse network. The report, along with relevant data files, was shared with Aurassure on 27 July. To find a suitable host, multiple meetings with BPAC and other on-ground partners have been scheduled.

  • Sensor Testing and Calibration Support: CSTEP shared validated reference PM10, PM2.5, temperature, and relative humidity data with Aurassure for developing a region-specific (Bengaluru) sensor-calibration model based on the long-term colocation data (January 2024–April 2026). The colocation and calibration of 30 sensor units (first batch) from 10 to 25 September 2026 have been completed, and the colocation of the second batch of 30 sensor devices is in progress and will be completed by 22 October 2026.

  • Collaborative Work with Good Earth Malhar Residential Community (Kumbalagodu): As part of our outreach efforts and community engagement, CSTEP is helping the Good Earth Malhar (GEM) residential community understand sensor data and what it indicates. To find linkages between observed pollution and local emission sources (industrial waste and biomass burning), CSTEP’s AirNET sensor data and weather data from GEM were used to identify observed patterns. The first round of results was presented and shared with the Good Earth Malhar community on 11 September. This work is in progress, and the team is extending the analysis using high-time-resolution air quality sensor and weather station data to identify peaks and possible connections to local source signatures.

  • OAQ Dashboard Launch Event (14 October): CSTEP’s Abhishek Penchala presented a talk on ‘Basics of Air Quality, Sources, Concentrations and the need for Sensor Network’. Mr Amrit Pandurangi from GoodEarth Malhar also shared their initiatives using CSTEP’s sensor installed in their community and highlighted the sources and causes around their facilities. They have begun helping communities and their surroundings systematically collect waste through their waste collection initiatives to support segregation and avoid open burning.

  • Common Data Protocols: During the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2026, CSTEP organised a side meeting with Rainmatter, CEEW, Bodhisangha, IIT-Delhi, and sensor aggregators (including Aurassure, Oizom, and Respirer). The entities shared their thoughts and limitations on what can be achieved and which precedents to follow to bring sensor and other data together in a common format for incorporation into the OAQ dashboard. As new additions to the dashboard are an iterative process, feedback on the OAQ dashboard to make it more useable will be shared by Rainmatter by 21 October.