105 ONGC personnel airlifted from Patna to Mumbai
The ONGC is mobilising around 5,000 personnel across the country to rotate its staff, stranded on duty and otherwise at different locations across India.
The Air India Friday operated special charter flights to ferry 105 ONGC personnel from Patna, who would replace the staff working continuously for the past 60 days on oil exploration rigs and production platforms at Bombay High, an off-shore oil field, 176 km (approx) off the west coast of Mumbai.
Another flight, with nearly 120 ONGC workers, is scheduled to return to Patna later in the evening.The ONGC is mobilising around 5,000 personnel across the country to rotate its staff, stranded on duty and otherwise at different locations across India.
“So far, we have lifted our personnel from Delhi, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata, following all the precautions as prescribed by the Centre,” said Deependu Kumar, chief engineer (drilling), Sagar Vijay Oil Exploration Rig, Bombay High.
“Our company has taken all requisite clearances from the government before moving our logistics, taking full precautions and maintaining social distancing, keeping the middle seat inside the aircraft vacant during transportation of its personnel,” he said.
The officials, who flew to Mumbai from Patna, were lifted from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern UP. The Patna hub caters to Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
“They will be taken to the ONGC’s Juhu heli-base to be finally taken by choppers to our exploration site,” said Gautam Kumar, superintending engineer (production), who was coordinating the operation in Patna.
Swab samples of each of the ONGC staff were tested prior to departure, he added.
The 109 people who returned to Mumbai from Patna, had come to their respective hometowns, while those on field duty, both on-shore and off-shore, were stranded due to the lockdown. Oil operation comes under the Essential Services Maintenance Act.
“An Airbus-320 aircraft from Mumbai lifted 105 ONGC personnel from here at 10am. We expect another charter flight, with ONGC personnel from Mumbai, to reach Patna around 5.30pm,” said Neeraj Sinha, Air India’s airport manager, Patna. “We took full precautions, as per the new standard operating procedure, before allowing the passengers on board,” he said.