KIA gets weather-based Smart Automatic Irrigation System

On World Environment Day, the Kempegowda International Airport unveiled a weather-based Smart Automatic Irrigation System to manage its 100-acre landscape.

This first-of-its-kind weather-based system could be controlled from a mobile app. “It irrigates plants based on the calculation of various parameters, including the evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and weather conditions,” the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said.

Equipped with a hydro-pneumatic pump station and automatic filtration unit, the irrigation system enables water saving of up to 30% over conventional modes of irrigation. The system applies precise amounts of water through drip irrigation, based on plant requirements and minimises water wastage due to evaporation, saves manpower costs and protects the landscape from overwatering.

The technology is aided by a soil moisture sensor, flow sensor, and rain sensor. Working in tandem with the weather station, it gives BIAL’s landscape team accurate readings of air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, wind direction, relative humidity, and rainfall, enabling the efficient management of the landscape.

One year after launching the project, 3,710 trees, 4,602 palms and accent plants, and 63,279 shrubs and ground cover have been translocated within the KIA campus, BIAL informed.