Satellite, drone-based monitoring of projects in Northeast

Shillong, Dec. 14 (IANS): In a bid for the proper and timely implementation of projects and schemes, the Central government has been monitoring their progress and accuracy through satellite, drone and mobile apps, officials said here on Wednesday.

An official of the Meghalaya-based North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC), said that till November, out of 588 identified projects, 562 at 1,664 different locations across the eight states, have been geo-tagged through satellite images and mobile app.

The Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in collaboration with NESAC has developed a project monitoring mobile application.

The official said that till December 7, 145 projects costing around INR 3,393 crore have been sanctioned in various sectors under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS).

The North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) has sanctioned 14 projects worth INR 90.86 crore in the Bamboo Sector during 2015-16 to 2021-22.

The NECBDC projects include, setting up of Cane and Bamboo Technology Park at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh; promotion of bamboo handicrafts, jewellery and utility products in Poma village, Papum Pare District, Arunachal Pradesh; setting up of bamboo crushing units in NER for production of bamboo powder in Assam; establishment of integrated agarbatti cluster with Zero Wastages Concept in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram; and bamboo resource creation through plantation in Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya.

The NESAC was established in 2000 as a joint initiative of the Department of Space and the Shillong based North Eastern Council (NEC).