Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) advanced radar research facility at Chandrapur near Guwahati. The facility, being developed by ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), will be the first space surveillance facility of its kind in the northeast.

“It is a landmark day for Assam. Until two decades ago, our state was known for strikes, violence and insurgency. That has changed in the last decade, and now we have IIT [Indian Institute of Technology], IIM [Indian Institute of Management], AIIMS [All India Institute of Medical Sciences] and central universities in Assam,” said Sarma.

The chief minister said Assam had so far lacked a major presence in space science. “With the Chandrapur facility, that gap has been filled.” He said the state government had provided around 70 acres of land to ISTRAC for the project. The site earlier housed a thermal power plant.

Sarma also assured the space agency of the state government’s support to develop the facility into a major centre. The project is expected to strengthen Assam’s role in space-related research and applications.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the Chandrapur facility would be a world-class centre. He said ISRO was ready with a cloud radar for the facility and that it would be commissioned before the end of February. Two more important radars will be commissioned within another one and a half years.

“We are ready with a cloud radar for this facility. It will be commissioned before the end of February. Two more important radars will be commissioned in another one and a half years.”

Narayanan said the cloud radar would study cloud patterns and support research and development. “This will help in predicting rainfall patterns and aid the government in taking necessary action. Many more radars will be set up once required approvals are received,” he added, terming the occasion a momentous one.

The facility’s radar systems will support research on weather and atmospheric conditions. The cloud radar will also help scientists study rainfall patterns, which can provide useful inputs for government planning and response.

Narayanan said the Union and state governments were already running more than 60 projects using space applications. These projects cover several areas, including agriculture, disaster management, forestry, water resources, geosciences and public health.

The Chandrapur facility will add to these applications while expanding ISRO’s infrastructure in the northeast. Its establishment also marks a new focus on advanced radar research and space surveillance in Assam.