North Eastern Space Applications Centre

North Eastern Space Applications Centre
Name	North Eastern Space Applications Centre
Formation	2000
Type	Autonomous body
Purpose	Remote sensing, satellite communication, GIS
Headquarters	Shillong, Meghalaya
Region served	Northeastern India
Parent organisation	Indian Space Research Organisation

North Eastern Space Applications Centre is a regional nodal agency established to apply remote sensing and satellite communication technologies for the development of Northeast India, coordinating activities with national and state institutions. It operates at the interface of the Indian Space Research Organisation, state administration of Meghalaya, and academic institutions such as the North Eastern Hill University and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, providing satellite data, geographic information systems, and decision support to sectors across the Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim states. The centre engages with agencies including the Department of Space, the National Remote Sensing Centre, and international bodies to integrate space-based services into regional planning and disaster management.

History

The centre was constituted following policy directives from the Department of Space and programmatic planning by the Indian Space Research Organisation during a period of expanded regionalization of satellite services in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its formation involved coordination among the Government of Meghalaya, the North Eastern Council, and technical units such as the Space Applications Centre and the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network. Early projects built on legacy datasets from missions like the IRS series and collaborations with institutions including the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and the National Institute of Hydrology. Over time the centre broadened mandates to support initiatives under schemes led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Mandate and Objectives

Mandates emphasize deployment of remote sensing and Geographic Information System services for natural resource assessment, agro-climatic planning, and disaster risk reduction across the Northeastern states. Objectives include capacity building with universities such as the Tezpur University and research institutes like the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, operational support to line departments including the State Disaster Management Authority and the Forest Department, and technology transfer consistent with Indian Space Research Organisation policy. The centre prioritizes generation of spatial products for programs administered by the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aligning with national frameworks such as those designed by the National Disaster Management Authority.

Organization and Infrastructure

The centre’s governance structure links to the Indian Space Research Organisation with representation from member states and hosting by the Government of Meghalaya. Its infrastructure includes satellite ground stations compatible with payloads from the IRS and Cartosat series, a GIS laboratory modeled on facilities at the National Remote Sensing Centre, and data processing hardware comparable to setups at the Space Applications Centre. Human resources draw from academic pools at the North Eastern Hill University, technical manpower trained through the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, and personnel seconded from the ISRO Satellite Centre and the Physical Research Laboratory.

Programs and Projects

Programs span thematic areas: watershed development in partnership with the Central Water Commission; land use/land cover mapping supporting the Forest Survey of India; and flood mapping coordinated with the Central Water Commission and the National Disaster Management Authority. Projects have used datasets from missions like Resourcesat, Cartosat-2, and the RISAT series to deliver agricultural advisories in conjunction with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and livestock support aligned with the Department of Animal Husbandry. The centre has implemented pilot projects on urban planning assistance for municipal bodies and basin-level studies for transboundary catchments involving the Brahmaputra Board.

Research and Applications

Research activities target hazard modeling, precision agriculture, hydrological simulation, and biodiversity monitoring using inputs from the Biodiversity Act-related inventories and collaborations with the Botanical Survey of India and the Zoological Survey of India. Applied work includes development of crop yield forecasting algorithms adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, landslide susceptibility mapping for state public works departments, and wetland inventories prepared for agencies such as the National Wetland Conservation Programme. The centre’s outputs inform planning instruments of bodies like the North Eastern Council and feed into national data portals maintained by the National Remote Sensing Centre.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The centre maintains formal partnerships with national agencies including the Indian Space Research Organisation, the National Remote Sensing Centre, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Academic collaborations include joint programs with the Tezpur University, Nagaland University, and the Assam Agricultural University. International linkages have involved technical exchanges with organizations akin to the Group on Earth Observations and bilateral projects modeled on cooperation frameworks used by the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Partnerships extend to state departments across the Northeastern states and nodal bodies like the State Remote Sensing Centres.

Outreach and Capacity Building

Outreach programs emphasize training workshops for state officials, technicians, and students, conducted jointly with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, the North Eastern Hill University, and extension agencies such as the Krishi Vigyan Kendra. Capacity building includes short courses on Geographic Information Systems, satellite data interpretation for disaster managers affiliated with the State Disaster Management Authority, and community engagement through pilot demonstrations implemented with local bodies and non-governmental organizations like those supported by the North Eastern Council. The centre disseminates thematic atlases and decision support products to line departments, academic partners, and regional planning institutions.

Category:Space programme of India Category:Organisations based in Meghalaya Category:Indian Space Research Organisation