Kathmandu: In a historic moment, the 11-member ONGC Everest Expedition Team has embarked on to scale the Mount Everest from Namchi Bazar, Nepal. This is first time that a corporate has taken a Mission to send a team to mount the highest peak of the Earth.
Earlier, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C), Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off the ONGC Everest Expedition at a glittering ceremony held in Delhi on March 28. The kick off to the Mission was attended by Director Technical & Field Services Mr Shashi Shanker and Director- Human Resource Mr D.D. Misra.
The team comprises of Capt. S K Sangwan, Manager HR, ONGC who is leading the 11 member contingent under the expert guidance of Padma Shri Loveraj Singh Dharamshkatu, Asst Commandent- BSF, from Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). ONGC employees Dr Nitin Chawla, Senior Medical Officer, Dr Ritu Sharma, Senior Geologist, Monti Rajkhowa, EE (Prod), N Jagoi AEE (Prod), Nirmal Kumar, EE (Mech), Prabhat Gaurav EE (Elect), Rahul Jarngal, AEE(Instt), Santosh Singh, Senior Security Officer, Surender Tomar, AG-I, (Geo) and Yogender Garbiyal, EE (Mech) are part of this expedition.
This is an attempt from ONGC, with a workforce of 33000, to prepare a team of youngsters who had little or no formal knowledge or skills in mountaineering craft to attempt scale the highest peak on the Earth. The genesis of ONGC’s Everest Expedition began about two years back in October 2015 when ONGC Everest successfully completed the trek to Everest Base Camp (17000ft) with a team of 21 climbers. From here began a Mission to scale Mt. Everest in 2017. Over 150 Everest aspirants underwent a strenuous selection process before the final team for the Summit was identified. The entire selection and training took nearly 15 months and had an eight stage elimination process which tested the physical and mental endurance levels of the participants. The entire team of ONGC has been trained for this herculean task by experts from IMF.
Shri D D Misra, Director (HR), ONGC has been the driving force behind this initiative, outlined various stages of training programme those have been imparted to the participants in the expedition. He said that out of over 150 employees, finally 11 have completed the stringent eligibility criteria for this programme.
To celebrate this historic moment, ONGC invited top officials from Indian High Commission Nepal, Department of Tourism, MoCTCA Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nepal Expedition Operators Association, Nepal Trekking Agencies Association, Himalayan Rescue Association, NMA Everest Chapter, Nepal Association of tour and Travel agents, Himalayan Climate Initiative, Mountaineering Division of Nepal, for sharing the thoughts behind this initiative.