SIVASAGAR: With the rising water levels of mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries causing unprecedented havoc in Assam, ONGC conducted relief operation to help the flood affected people of the State. ONGC has so far taken a slew of initiatives to give respite to the people hit hard by nature’s fury. Among the 24-flood affected districts, Sivasagar, the nerve centre of ONGC’s operations is one of the worst flood hit in Assam. The areas close to the Brahmaputra have been devastated in the floods, with thousands of people rendered homeless and forced to take temporary shelters on high grounds. One such flood ravaged village is Rupohimukh, where thousands of affected people from the nearby villages inundated by Brahmaputra waters have taken shelters in makeshift camps. To reach out to these distressed people, Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) and Employees’ Welfare Committee (EWC) of Assam Asset of ONGC had jointly organized a relief camp at Rupohimukh on July 14. Three thousand mosquito nets and kitchen utensils were distributed among the affected families of four villages during the camp. ASTO President, RP Pandey and officiating ED-AM of Assam Asset, AK Sachan, along with AISTSCEWA President, PR Mili personally supervised the relief camp organized at Rupohimukh recently. Other office-bearers of ASTO, Jayanta Kathuriya, Vice-President, Ritul Gogoi, General Secretary and Indeswar Pegu, Joint Secretary were also present in the camp. On the other hand, ONGC sources said that ONGC has contributed Rs 1 crore to the Assam Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. ONGC CMD, Sudhir Vasudeva handed over the cheque of Rs 1 crore to the Resident Commissioner of Assam, Himangshu Shekhar Das, at Assam Bhawan in New Delhi on July 13. It may be mentioned here that this is the highest monetary support contributed by any corporate body to the CM’s relief fund to meet one of the worst floods faced by Assam. Earlier on June 28, ONGC Officers’ Mahila Samiti and All India SC, ST Employees Welfare Association (AISTSCEWA) and some employees of ONGC visited flood ravaged Dikhowmukh area in Sivasagar District. Thousands of affected people have taken shelter at Dikhowmukh Janajati High School. The AISTSCEWA distributed cloth, soap, tooth paste, brush, candle, sleepers, new mekhela sadars for old women and tarpaulin among flood affected people at the relief camp. The ONGC Mahila Samiti has provided them with clothes and food items. Commenting on ONGC’s flood relief operations, ED-AM Bimal Kumar Baruah told The Sentinel, “ONGC has always tried to help and support the people, especially at times of natural calamities like flood. He further said that various steps, including setting up of medical camps are being planned to reach out to the needy ones.