New Delhi:&nbsp;On the back of the best-ever price, it earned on crude oil it produces, state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) reported a record net profit of Rs 40,305 crore in the fiscal year ended March 31, becoming India's second most profitable company behind Reliance Industries Ltd.In a statement, ONGC said net profit for the fiscal FY22 (April 2021 to March 2022) soared 258 percent to Rs 40,305.74 crore from Rs 11,246.44 crore in the previous financial year.This as it got an average of USD 76.62 for every barrel of crude oil produced and sold in the fiscal as against USD 42.78 per barrel net realization in the previous year.This is the best price that ONGC got as international oil prices surged from late 2021 and spiked to a near 14-year high of USD 139 per barrel after Russia invaded Ukraine. International rates had spiked to a record USD 147 per barrel in 2008 but ONGC's net realization at that time was much lower as it had to provide subsidies to fuel retailers so that they could sell petrol, diesel, cooking gas LPG, and kerosene at rates lower than cost.ONGC now gets international rates as the downstream fuel retailers too price petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products at global rates.The firm got USD 2.35 per million British thermal units for the gas it sold against USD 2.09 in the previous FY21 fiscal. The gas price jumped to USD 6.1 in April this year and this impact will be visible in the first-quarter earnings.Consolidated net profit, after including those earned by its subsidiaries like HPCL, MRPL, and ONGC Videsh Ltd, soared to Rs 49,294.06 crore in 2021-22 as compared to Rs 21,360.25 crore in 2020-21.Both standalone and consolidated net profit of ONGC is the second-highest profit in the country.Reliance had on May 6 reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 67,845 crore on a revenue of Rs 792,756 crore.ONGC displaced Tata Steel for the No.2 spot. Tata Steel on May 3 reported a standalone net profit of Rs 33,011.18 crore and a consolidated net profit of Rs 41,749.32 crore for FY22. At the No.4 spot is Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) with a consolidated net profit of Rs 38,449 crore, followed by State Bank of India (SBI) which reported a net profit of Rs 31,676 crore on May 13. Its private-sector rival HDFC Bank reported a standalone net profit of Rs 36,961.33 crore and a consolidated net profit of Rs 31,150.90 crore for the fiscal.ONGC once was India's most profitable company but a decline in output and paying fuel subsidies led to its earnings declining over the years.ONGC said its standalone revenue from operations soared nearly 62 percent to Rs 1.10 lakh crore and consolidated turnover came in at Rs 5.31 lakh crore.The profit surge was despite a 3.7 percent drop in crude oil production to 21.7 million tonnes in 2021-22 as some of the firm's western offshore fields were hit by a severe cyclone in May last year. Gas output fell 5 percent to 21.68 billion cubic meters.''The decrease in oil/gas production is mainly due to the impact of cyclone Tauktae in western offshore assets and western onshore assets and modification work at Hazira (Gujarat),'' the statement said.ONGC said its Reserve Replacement Ratio (2P) from domestic fields (excluding joint venture fields) was 1.01. This is the 16th consecutive year when ONGC achieved a Reserve Replacement Ratio (2P) of more than one.The company's overseas arm, ONGC Videsh Ltd reported a 16 percent drop in net profit to Rs 1,589 crore in 2021-22 as crude oil and natural gas output fell. Its crude oil production declined to 8.099 million tonnes in FY22 from 8.51 million tonnes in the previous year. Gas output fell to 4.231 billion cubic meters from 4.529 bcm in FY21.ONGC declared a final dividend of 65 percent (Rs 3.25 per share of fthe ace value of Rs 5 each), taking the total dividend paid in the fiscal to 210 percent (Rs 10.50 a share).—PTI

On the back of the best-ever price, it earned on crude oil it produces, state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) reported a record net profit of Rs 40,305 crore in the fiscal year ended March 31, becoming India's second most profitable company behind Reliance Industries Ltd.

ONGC reports highest net profit of Rs 40,306 crore

Mumbai: At least four persons perished after a Pawan Hans helicopter ditched into the Arabian Sea near the ONGC’s Sagar Kiran oil-rig, off Mumbai High Fields, around 175 kms off the country’s commercial capital, official sources said on Tuesday.The chopper was carrying nine people – seven passengers, reportedly ONGC staffers, and two pilots – and a major operation comprising the ONGC, the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, and offshore supply vessels, was launched to rescue them. By 2 p.m., all the nine were taken out, but four, who were unconscious after rescue and flown to a Mumbai hospital, were pronounced dead later, said officials.“All 9 persons on board the helicopter were rescued. Unfortunately, four of them, brought unconscious to the Mumbai base and taken to the hospital, lost the battle of life. ONGC deeply mourns this loss,” said the ONGC in a tweet this evening. Further details of the fatalities, the cause of death, their identities, etc are awaited.The rescue operation comprised the ONGC’s offshore supply vessel Malviya-16 and a boat from oil rig Sagar Kiran, while the Indian Coast Guard deployed its helicopters to drop rafts near the ditched chopper, and the Indian Navy sent an ALH and a Sea King chopper.The cause of the emergency landing on water, whether related to weather or technical issues, is not immediately clear, according to ONGC officials in Mumbai and New Delhi.—IANS

 At least four persons perished after a Pawan Hans helicopter ditched into the Arabian Sea near the ONGC’s Sagar Kiran oil-rig, off Mumbai High Fields, around 175 kms off the country’s commercial capital, official sources said on Tuesday.

4 Dead As Pawan Hans Chopper Ditches In Arabian Sea, 5 Saved

New Delhi (The Hawk): Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Greenko ZeroC Private Limited (Greenko), to jointly pursue opportunities in Renewables, Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia and other derivatives of green hydrogen.The MoU, valid for two years, was inked in New Delhi by ONGC Director Onshore Shri Anurag Sharma and Greenko CEO &amp; Managing Director Shri Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty, in the presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &amp; Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri. Secretary (MoP&amp;NG) Shri Pankaj Jain, ONGC CMD Dr. Alka Mittal along with ONGC Directors, other senior officials from MoP&amp;NG , ONGC and Greenko were also present. Greenko is one of India’s leading renewable energy Companies.This MoU is in line with the National Hydrogen Mission launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister in making India a global green hydrogen hub. The activities envisaged under this MoU will contribute towards India’s target of producing of 5 million tonnes of Green hydrogen per annum by 2030. This MoU will also act as a stepping stone for ONGC to achieve renewable energy targets as per its Energy Strategy 2040. As the share of renewables in the energy mix is rising driven by cost competitiveness, climate change awareness and strong regulatory push, ONGC aims to meet its objectives such as de-risking of portfolio against long term disruptions and reducing carbon footprint by moving into renewables space.

Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Greenko ZeroC Private Limited (Greenko), to jointly pursue opportunities in Renewables, Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia and other derivatives of green hydrogen.

ONGC To Make Green Hydrogen; Inks MoU With India’s Leading Renewable Energy Company

Tirupati (The Hawk): With a net worth of over 2.5 lakh crore (roughly 30 billion USD), Tirupati's renowned Lord Venkateswara temple has a greater market value than IT services provider Wipro, the food and beverage manufacturer Nestle, and the state-owned oil tycoons Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation combined (IOC).
For the first time since its creation in 1933, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, caretaker of the temple devoted to Tirupati's presiding deity, disclosed its financial status.
Among its assets are 10.25 tonnes of gold in bank deposits, 2.5 tonnes of gold jewellery, around 16,000 crore in bank deposits, and 960 properties spread out across India. The sum of all of these exceeds 2.5 lakh crore.
Several blue-chip Indian companies are worth more than the Tirupati temple's net worth at the current market price, according to stock exchange data.
At the close of trade on Friday, UltraTech Cement had a market value of $1.99 lakh crore, while Bengaluru-based Wipro had a market cap of $2.14 lakh crore.
With a market cap of 1.96 lakh crore, the India division of the Swiss multinational food and beverage company Nestle was also undervalued.
The temple trust was valued lower than state-owned oil giants Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), as well as the power giant NTPC Ltd, the automakers Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors, the world's largest coal producer Coal India Ltd, the mining conglomerate Vedanta, the real estate firm DLF, and numerous other companies.
Only a small handful of businesses have market values greater than the net wealth of the temple trust.
These include Reliance Industries Ltd., owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, with revenues of Rs. 17.53 trillion, Tata Consultancy Services, with revenues of Rs. 11.76 trillion, HDFC Bank, with revenues of Rs. 8.34 trillion, Infosys, with revenues of Rs. 6.37 trillion, ICICI Bank, with revenues of Rs. 6.31 trillion, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., with revenues of Rs. 5.92 trillion, State Bank of India, with revenues of Rs (Rs 4.38 lakh crore).
According to a temple official, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is getting richer and richer as cash and gold gifts from pilgrims at the hill temple climb and fixed deposits in banks generate more money as interest rates rise.
The property possessed by TTD consists of land plots, structures, money, and gold deposits made in banks as donations to the temple by worshippers.
According to temple officials, placing a value on precious antique jewellery and real estate, such as cottages and guest houses on the seven hills to accommodate pilgrims, could be misconstrued and does not contribute to the estimated total asset worth.
Devotees adore the vast seven hills as Lord Venkateswara's home and hold them in high regard. The TTD forecasted over 668 crore as income in the form of interest from cash deposits in banks in its over 3,100 crore annual budget for 2022–23, which was announced in February. Additionally, in the hundi of the hill temple, 1,000 crore in income was forecast from just the monetary offerings made by about 2.5 crore pilgrims.
In Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Haryana, Maharashtra, and New Delhi, TTD is in charge of managing a sizable number of temples.
(Inputs from Agencies)

With a net worth of over 2.5 lakh crore (roughly 30 billion USD), Tirupati's renowned Lord Venkateswara temple has a greater market value than IT services provider Wipro, the food and beverage manufacturer Nestle, and the state-owned oil tycoons Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation combined (IOC).

Tirumala temple possesses Rs 2.5 lakh crore assets, including 10 tonnes gold

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a program organized at ONGC on Kaulagarh Road on the occasion of Energy Conservation Day on Wednesday.
In this program jointly organized by Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency and ONGC, the Chief Minister visited the exhibition of energy-efficient equipment and also released the table calendar of 2023 based on energy conservation. The winners of various competitions based on energy conservation were also rewarded by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister said that everyone will always have to make efforts for energy conservation. "Energy conservation needs to be a part of our daily routine. Knowledge and science have progressed rapidly. Many new techniques are also being used for energy conservation. Along with these techniques, we should use electricity as per the requirement, everyone has to bring it into their habits. This is possible only with our small efforts. The state government is constantly making efforts to maintain a balance between ecology and economy," he said.
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is leading the international stage in the field of solar energy.
"India is taking forward the resolution of development of clean energy in the whole world. India is making abundant use of natural energy in the field of industrial development," he said.
Dhami said that Uttarakhand has immense possibilities in the field of tourism and energy.
"In the concept of the state, tourism and energy economy were the mainstays, the state government is paying special attention to this," he said.
He has requested the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to get NOCs on various hydropower projects in the state soon.
He said that sustainable development of any country is possible only with sustainable energy. We also have to look at alternative sectors of energy. Secretary Energy RK Meenakshi Sundaram said that there is a lot of potential in the field of energy production in Uttarakhand. For this, work is also being done on a joint venture with THDC. Small hydropower projects are being promoted in the state. —ANI

 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a program organized at ONGC on Kaulagarh Road on the occasion of Energy Conservation Day on Wednesday.

Uttarakhand CM Participates In ONGC Program On Energy Conservation Day

Mumbai (The Hawk): Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has successfully commissioned a new Gas Collecting Station (GCS) in its Bokaro Coal Bed Methane block. It is the first gas collecting cum gas compression station in the Bokaro CBM (Coal Bed Methane) Block. This marks a major achievement in bringing ONGC on the CBM map of India as a bulk CBM producer. GCS-Bokaro is a major production installation in Patch-A of Bokaro CBM Block of ONGC-IOCL Joint Venture (Participating Interest: 80:20) with ONGC as the JV operator. CBM Asset has executed a tie-in agreement with GAIL for pipeline connectivity with its Urja Ganga Pipeline for the sale of gas from GCS-Bokaro. In addition, the Asset has facilitated the signing of Gas Sales Agreements (GSAs) with five gas customers, realizing the highest-ever premium of USD 7.1 per MMBTU over Brent linked base crude oil price of ~USD 14 per MMBTU. The GCS- Bokaro project, including its well site facilities and pipeline network was conceived by CBM Asset and executed by the consortium of M/s Tata Projects Limited and M/s Corrtech International Pvt. Ltd. under a contract awarded by OES, Delhi. The total cost of the project is around Rs.441 crore. GCS-Bokaro is designed to process 1 MMSCMD of CBM gas and handle 750 m3/day of produced water. The installation is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including gas and water-headers, gas separator, gas filters, Dresser-Rand Make Process Gas compressors, Molecular Sieve based Gas Dehydration Unit, flare system with remote ignition, produced water handling system, RO system, captive power generation system, instrument air system, cooling water and fire-fighting systems, among others. Currently, 55 wells are connected with GCS-Bokaro and are flowing well fluids, including CBM gas and produced water, which have been used for the PGTR (Performance Guarantee Test Run) and commissioning of the installation. Unlike conventional gas wells, CBM wells require dewatering through artificial lift pumps before achieving sustained gas production. The successful mammoth task of commissioning of GCS-Bokaro is a result of meticulous planning, round-the-clock operations, supervision, monitoring, and coordination among various teams from across diverse disciplines.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has successfully commissioned a new Gas Collecting Station (GCS)

ONGC's Coal Bed Methane Block In Bokaro Commissions New Gas Collecting Station

New Delhi (The Hawk): Inspired by the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited is funding the construction of National Disaster Mitigation Centre and Yatri Niwas in Sidhra, Jammu. Hon’ble Union Minister for Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas and Housing &amp; Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, and Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu &amp; Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha laid the centre’s foundation stone today, 6th June 2023 in Jammu.
Every year, lakhs of tourists visit Srinagar and Amarnath. The large footfalls have been causing logistical challenge for a long time, especially for the needy tourists and pilgrims. This ONGC-funded Yatri Niwas will solve the logistical challenge to a large extent, by providing accommodation for 30,000 tourists in a year, thus staggering the movement of tourists and pilgrims.
The ONGC Disaster Management Centre will play a pivotal role in providing essential amenities such as lodging, sanitation, and safe drinking water. It will serve as a central hub for distributing vital information and delivering relief measures during emergencies. Additionally, it will contribute to traffic management and ensure a seamless tourist/pilgrimage experience, with a special focus on facilitating boarding and lodging facilities for needy tourists/pilgrims.
Moreover, the local population, including unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers, artisans, craftsmen, daily wage laborers, street vendors, and weavers, will also experience the positive impact of increased footfalls resulting from these ONGC-created facilities.
The construction of the National Disaster Mitigation Center and Yatri Niwas will take place on a 1.84-acre (8378 square meter) plot, with an approximate built-up area of 1.875 acres (8500 square meters). ONGC, through its Corporate Infrastructure Group, will oversee the implementation of this project to ensure its timely and efficient completion, while also upholding its commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
As a part of its extensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ONGC has made a generous pledge of Rs. 51 crore to support this project. This substantial undertaking, funded by India’s Energy Maharatna ONGC, further demonstrates its unwavering commitment to serve the nation.
The event was attended by the Chairman and CEO of ONGC Shri Arun Kumar Singh, as well as other esteemed guests. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and ONGC.

Inspired by the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) 

Hardeep Singh Puri Lays Foundation Stone Of ONGC-Funded Yatri Niwas In Jammu

New Delhi: Due to the disqualification of the selected bidder, the government decided on Monday to cancel the strategic disinvestment of Pawan Hans, marking the third failed attempt to privatise the helicopter service provider.
Pawan Hans is owned by the government to the tune of 51%, with ONGC, another government-owned oil company, holding the remaining 49%. To sell Pawan Hans and ONGC's share, the government issued an EoI (expression of interest) request in December 2020.
Star9 Mobility Private Ltd, a combination of Maharaja Aviation Pvt Ltd, Big Charter Pvt Ltd, and Almas Global Opportunity Fund, was the top bidder for the sale of Pawan Hans's entire stock in April 2022.—Inputs from Agencies

Due to the disqualification of the selected bidder, the government decided on Monday to cancel the strategic disinvestment of Pawan Hans, marking the third failed attempt to privatise the helicopter service provider.  Pawan Hans is owned by the government to the tune of 51%, with ONGC, another government-owned oil company, holding the remaining 49%. To sell Pawan Hans and ONGC's share, the government issued an EoI (expression of interest) request in December 2020.  Star9 Mobility Private Ltd, a combination of Maharaja Aviation Pvt Ltd, Big Charter Pvt Ltd, and Almas Global Opportunity Fund, was the top bidder for the sale of Pawan Hans's entire stock in April 2022.

Govt calls off Pawan Hans strategic sale for third time as successful bidder found unfit

Due to the disqualification of the selected bidder, the government decided on Monday to cancel the strategic disinvestment of Pawan Hans, marking the third failed attempt to privatise the helicopter service provider.

Pawan Hans is owned by the government to the tune of 51%, with ONGC, another government-owned oil company, holding the remaining 49%. To sell Pawan Hans and ONGC's share, the government issued an EoI (expression of interest) request in December 2020.

Star9 Mobility Private Ltd, a combination of Maharaja Aviation Pvt Ltd, Big Charter Pvt Ltd, and Almas Global Opportunity Fund, was the top bidder for the sale of Pawan Hans's entire stock in April 2022.


New Delhi: On Friday, a fire broke out on a rig owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) in the Geleky area of the Sivasagar district of Assam. There were no casualties.
According to a business statement, the incident occurred around 14:50.
Fire tenders from ONGC were dispatched to the scene as soon as the company's emergency procedures were initiated.—Inputs from Agencies

On Friday, a fire broke out on a rig owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) in the Geleky area of the Sivasagar district of Assam. There were no casualties.

Fire at ONGC rig in Assam; no one injured

Dehradun (The Hawk): Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) to realize its Renewable energy objectives towards energy transition on 27 September 2023. The MoU will primarily explore the feasibility and setting up of Renewable Energy Projects in various domains. The MoU envisages collaboration of the two mega entities in Renewable Power Projects in India and Overseas through offshore wind projects and exploring opportunities in the Storage, E-mobility, Carbon Credits and Green Credits, Nuclear, Green Hydrogen business and its derivatives (Green Ammonia and Green Methanol).

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL)

ONGC Inks MoU With NTPC Green Energy Limited For Development Of Renewable Energy Projects

Uttarkashi: As Wednesday marked day 11 of the operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, the officials are 'hopeful' to rescue the victims at the earliest. The collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction of the tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, and the debris that fell in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 workers. A National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official said that on November 12, the tunnel caved in and that the other Barkot side of the tunnel was already closed, as work on that side had not yet started. Sunita Hembram, the family member of a trapped worker, while speaking to ANI said that she had a conversation with her brother-in-law who is trapped in the tunnel and informed her about his well-being. "I had a conversation with my brother-in-law who is trapped here. He is stable and healthy. The workers have received food, clothes and other items. Hopefully, they will be rescued by the morning tomorrow. The doctors also had a conversation with the trapped workers..." Sunita said. Meanwhile, Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed said that the 'big news' is expected to be received tonight or tomorrow morning. "If there are no obstacles, some big news may be received tonight or tomorrow morning. An iron rod has also come along with the debris. It is a matter of happiness that this iron in the middle of laying the pipeline did not create any problems for us..." Ahmed said. He also said that an additional 800 mm pipe has also been pushed 21 metres inside the tunnel "An additional 800 mm pipe has also been pushed 21 metres inside the tunnel. Around 12:45 am, we started drilling through the auger machine and so far, we have pushed three more pipes...As long as we reach 45-50 metres inside the tunnel, we will not be able to give you the exact time. We are also doing horizontal drilling, we have entered around 8 metres from there as well..." the official told the reporters. L&amp;T Safety Head, Nigel Wirtz said, "The current situation is that they are drilling a way....Hopefully, they are going to break through... It looks like it is going to happen.....We are also assisting with the micro-tunneling as well... The job has to be done correctly and in a systematic way." National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Second in Command Ravi S Badhani told ANI that the rescuers are "very close" to the victims. "The rescue operation is going really well. A good horizontal drill is happening... According to my knowledge, we are very close to victims now... It's difficult to give a time frame, but it's time-consuming... The situation of the trapped worker is fine. They were given the morning breakfast. Communication is well established. They are talking nicely to their family members. Their morale is high..." he said. Former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe and Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela arrived at the Silkyara Tunnel site earlier in the day. Vivek Srivastava, Commander 36 BRO said that the work on Barkot end will begin today. "The machinery has reached the site at the Silkyara end and the drilling has started there...The work on Barkot end will begin today," he said. Earlier in the morning, Major Naman Narula of BRO told ANI that the road construction work on the hill from the upper part of the tunnel to the marked place on the tunnel where the drilling work will be done has been completed. "Around 1,200 metres of road has been constructed. Two drilling machine vehicles have also reached the tunnel site. We have constructed the track within 48 hours..." Major Narula said. He further said that at the end of the track, two vertical drills are yet to be done. "Our task was to give an access road for vertical drilling which was at the Silkyara end of the tunnel wherein a track of 1150 m was to be created which we did and hand it over on November 20... At the end of the track, two vertical drills are to be done, and one machinery has reached the site out of two...Our second task was to give an access road towards Barkot which is the other end of the tunnel so the survey for that ended yesterday and the machinery has reached the ground today..." he added. When the rescuers continued their operation on the 11th day, people offered prayers at a temple that had been built at the main entrance of the tunnel. On Tuesday, rescuers attempted 'horizontal drilling' and fed trapped workers with solid cooked food simultaneously. A total of five agencies--Oil and Natual Gas Corporation (ONGC), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), National Highways &amp; Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDCL)-- have been assigned specific responsibilities to evacuate the 41 labourers who have been trapped in the 2-km-built portion of the under-construction structure. As many as four ambulances have been brought to the site of the tunnel collapse after the request was made for 40 ambulances. The remaining ambulances are to be brought soon from Dehradun. "At present four ambulances are present at the site and around 35 ambulances have been sent to the site from different districts. Due to lack of parking facility here, they will be parked at some distance and will be called to the site after being alerted four hours in advance," Naveen, the driver of one of the ambulances said. —ANI

As Wednesday marked day 11 of the operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district

Worker Trapped In Slikyara Tunnel Tells Family He Is 'Safe And Healthy' Even As Rescue Operations Continue

Uttarkashi: As the ongoing operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed portion of the Uttarkashi tunnel entered the 13th day, the director ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), who is present at the site, asserted the labourers will be rescued by Friday. Speaking to media persons, ONGC director Sanjay Bhatt said, " We are hopeful that the rescue operation will be concluded and the workers brought out safely by today. As of now, there is no major hindrance to the operation and everyone is hopeful that the workers will be rescued by this evening." Meanwhile, ambulances remained on standby and emergency medical aid was made ready and available at the other of the tunnel so that the workers could be provided with immediate assistance once they are brought out safely. Earlier, on Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel carried out a demonstration of the movement of wheeled stretchers through the pipeline inserted to extricate the trapped workers. NDRF personnel, who went inside the pipeline for the demo, said they did not experience any breathing problems during the exercise and could move out comfortably. The drilling work at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to evacuate 41 trapped workers was halted again on Thursday night after the auger machine encountered a technical snag. Bhaskar Khulbe, a former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said a 2-metre part of the inserted pipe had to be cut off as it got compressed due to friction while drilling. This happened after the auger heavy-duty driller encountered an obstruction and exerted more pressure on Thursday, he informed. "Last night, we had to revamp the platform on which the machine is mounted. However, Parsons Company operated a ground penetration radar, which told us that there is no metallic obstruction for the next 5 metres (inside the tunnel). This means that our drilling, once it resumes, should be smooth. When we were removing the debris, we came upon two mangled pipes," Khulbe said, adding that the trapped workers may be extricated by Friday. —ANI

As the ongoing operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed portion of the Uttarkashi tunnel entered the 13th day

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Workers To Be Rescued By This Evening, Asserts ONGC Director

Uttarkashi: "I don't want my son to work further in the tunnel", says a grieving Chaudhary, father of Manjeet, one of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. A resident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, the 50-year-old Chaudhary is suffering from vision loss in one of his eyes. Manjeet, 22 years old, has been trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel since November 12. During the day, a Magna Rod cutter machine has been deployed to speed up the rescue the drilling operation, an ONGC official said. The development comes after a plasma cutter machine flown from Hyderabad to cut the auger machine got stuck in the debris of the Silkyara tunnel, officials said. Chaudhary said that he does not want his son Manjeet to take up this work again after he is rescued anytime soon. Chaudhary said, "Manjeet's mother, sister and locals are praying to see Manjeet come out safely and return to his village. We will do farming, animal husbandry or start a small business at home." Chaudhary has already lost his elder son Deepu (22) in a bridge construction accident in Mumbai. The family is finding it hard to keep both ends meet as Manjeet is the sole breadwinner for the family. Choudhary added that he will do something else even at the age of 50, "but he wants his son to live with him in the house now." After a portion of the tunnel caved in on November 12, the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure. —ANI

"I don't want my son to work further in the tunnel", says a grieving Chaudhary, father of Manjeet, one of the 41 workers

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ONGC reports highest net profit of Rs 40,306 crore

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ONGC reports highest net profit of Rs 40,306 crore

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