Real-time Air Quality Monitoring Dashboard for Colombo

Overview

The Real-time Air Quality Monitoring Dashboard for Colombo is a web-based application designed to provide real-time air quality information for the Colombo Metropolitan Area. This dashboard allows users to:

• Monitor Air Quality Index (AQI) levels across the city.
• Explore historical trends in air quality.
• Understand the spatial distribution of air pollutants.

The system simulates data from a network of air quality sensors placed across Colombo to generate AQI readings. Users can interact with the dashboard to gain insights into air quality conditions in their environment.

Features

• Real-time AQI Monitoring: View up-to-date air quality information for different locations in Colombo.
• Historical Data Analysis: Access past AQI trends and visualize changes over time.
• Interactive Map Visualization: Display air quality levels on a city-wide map.
• Data Simulation: The system generates AQI readings based on simulated sensor data.
• User-Friendly Interface: A responsive and easy-to-navigate dashboard.
• Custom Alerts: Set up notifications for specific AQI thresholds.
• Multi-User Access: Different user roles with varying access levels.
• Mobile Compatibility: Fully responsive design for mobile users.
• Downloadable Reports: Export air quality data for further analysis.

Technology Stack

• Frontend: ASP.NET Core MVC, JavaScript, HTML, CSS
• Backend: ASP.NET Core Web API
• Database: SQL Server
• Data Processing: .NET Core
• Mapping & Visualization: Leaflet.js / Google Maps API
• Deployment: Azure / AWS (Optional)

Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• .NET 6.0 or later
• SQL Server
• Visual Studio or VS Code
• Node.js (for frontend package management)

Steps to Run the Application

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-repository/air-quality-dashboard.git
   cd air-quality-dashboard

2. Setup Database

   • Create a new SQL Server database.
   • Run the provided database.sql script to create necessary tables.

3. Configure the Application

   • Update the appsettings.json file with your database connection string.

4. Run the Backend API

   cd backend
   dotnet run

5. Run the Frontend

   cd frontend
   npm install
   npm start

6. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5000 (or the configured port).

API Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/aqi/latest	Get the latest AQI data
GET	/api/aqi/history	Fetch historical air quality data
GET	/api/locations	Retrieve list of monitored locations
POST	/api/alerts	Set up AQI threshold alerts
GET	/api/reports	Generate and download AQI reports

Deployment Guide

Hosting on Azure

1. Create an App Service in Azure.
2. Configure the SQL Server Database.
3. Deploy the API and Frontend via Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.

Hosting on AWS

1. Use AWS Elastic Beanstalk for the .NET API.
2. Set up an RDS SQL Server Instance.
3. Deploy the frontend to S3 with CloudFront for distribution.

Security Considerations

• Implement JWT-based authentication for secure API access.
• Use HTTPS to encrypt data transmission.
• Regularly update dependencies to mitigate security vulnerabilities.
• Enable role-based access control (RBAC) for different user levels.

Contribution

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (feature-branch).
3. Commit changes and push to your branch.
4. Create a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For inquiries or support, reach out to your.email@example.com or open an issue on GitHub.

Future Enhancements

• AI-Powered Predictions: Forecast air quality trends using machine learning.
• IoT Integration: Connect with physical air quality sensors for real data.
• Multi-City Expansion: Extend support for other regions.
• Social Sharing: Share air quality reports via social media platforms.
• User Feedback Mechanism: Collect user input to improve the dashboard.