Lt Bimal Behera receives Shaurya Chakra from President Murmu

BHUBANESWAR: Naval officer from Odisha Lieutenant Bimal Ranjan Behera was conferred the prestigious Shaurya Chakra by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday.

Belonging to Kendrapara, Lieutenant Behera got the award in recognition of his exceptional courage, gallantry, and unwavering commitment to his duty. In March last year, he stepped up as a lead diver when ONGC reported an operational emergency in its deep sea project off Kakinada.

Armada Sterling V, a fuel production storage and off-loading vessel of ONGC deployed of Kakinada for a major offshore development project, critical for the nation’s energy security, had to abruptly suspend operations due to entanglement of fishing nets at the fuel extraction mechanism. This prompted ONGC to seek help from the Indian Navy.

Lieutenant Behera dived in a perilous and hostile diving operation at 440 metre of water depth to remove the nets, showing gallantry and disregard for personal safety. He cleared the nets despite the strong water current and complex underwater fittings, enabling considerable savings to the exchequer.

An alumnus of Tolani Maritime Institute at Digras, Maharashtra, Lieutenant Behera had cleared Services Selection Board (SSB) interview in his second attempt.