Plan to use satellite images to monitor projects in northeast

The central government is likely to soon launch a mechanism under which various developmental projects in the northeastern states could be monitored through satellite images, it was announced on Saturday.

"The satellite images using space technology can be effectively used for planning and evaluating the progress of various developmental projects in the north eastern states," Minister of State for Development of Northeastern Region Jitendra Singh said at a departmental meeting.

"Considering the fact that the department of space already has one of its establishments in Shillong.. this should not be a difficult proposition," he said.

The North-Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) is located in the Meghalaya capital.

According to official sources here, the minister directed DoNER ministry officials to soon hold a meeting with officials of the space department and work out a road map on the same.

The northeastern states with difficult topography and constraints of accessibility of offers an ideal case or using satellite images of roads and other construction works for their precise assessment, the minister said.