North Eastern Space Applications Centre

North-Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) was set up in September 2000 through a joint initiative of the Department of Space and the North Eastern Council, based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. It has been declared a protected area by the state government. Its objective is to search and utilize natural resources in the North-Eastern region using remote sensing, provide satellite services access, and promote research in space technology through collaboration with academic institutions. The centre focuses on remote sensing and geographic information systems, satellite communication programmes, and space science research. It is equipped with modern GIS software such as Erdas, Geomatica, eCognition, and ESRI ArcGIS, along with equipment like Digital Photogrammetry Work Stations, A0 size Colour Scanners, Leica DGPS, Spectroradiometer, and Plant Canopy Imager. NESAC has undertaken projects including land mapping of North-Eastern States at 1:50,000 scale, wasteland and wetland monitoring, and development of the Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS). It also developed touch input-based information kiosks for Meghalaya. Funding for the centre is shared equally between the Government of India and the North-Eastern Council, with a budget of Rs. 8 crore allocated for the financial year 2012–13.