Govt to use NESAC technology to decongest city

SHILLONG, April 17: Under fire from all quarters, including the High Court of Meghalaya, for not doing enough to end the city gridlock, the state government has now turned to the North East Space Application Centre (NESAC) to use technology to implement the Shillong traffic decongestion plan.
Principal Secretary, Dr. P Shakeel Ahammed disclosed the same while talking to reporters after the precursor event of the 4th edition of the Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM) here on Monday. Ahammed informed that they are using high resolution maps provided by NESAC to earmark new parking areas and possible widening of roads.
He also informed that the state has also sought NESAC’s technology for expansion of Khasi Mandarin and also for millet cultivation.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary informed that NESAC is also helping the government in the field of agriculture and sericulture, among other things.
“The centre is helping the government with the rice expansion scheme in Garo Hills region,” Ahammed said.
Stating in an effort to improve the yield of farmers, he informed that they are also planning to use the NESAC facilities to expand Boro Paddy cultivation in the state.
“We are working closely with NESAC on 19 projects which are specific to the state,” the Principal Secretary said.
Meanwhile, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, S. Somnath said that everyone is talking about mining on asteroids since there is potential in it.
“But this vision about mining on an asteroid is a long way off. We will always envision something by taking small steps which is meant for the future,” Somnath said, adding that it may happen after 10 to 20 years.
“One has to transport huge machinery to that place to do mining on asteroids. We will need to use another orbit to bring back the minerals which will require rockets. We need to enhance robotic missions which will take many years,” he said.
The ISRO chief observed that no one has gone back to the moon after the last moon mission in 1972.
“But now there is renewed interest because the technology to go to the moon costs less now,” Somnath said.
On how long it will take for humans to live in space, Somnath said that human beings have developed the capability to travel to outer space and live there for years together.
The ISRO chief said that there is a possibility that humans can create colonies on the moon and Mars.
Stating that the story up to the moon and Mars are okay, he however said that it will be light years away to go to an extra solar planet where there is a possibility of an earth-like atmosphere.
“We will require new technologies for human beings to travel that far. This is another dream of human beings. We are not going to be extinct, we are going to live beyond our solar system,” Somnath said.