New Delhi [India], February 6 (ANI): As reconstruction continues after Cyclone Ditwah, the Indian Army and Indian Navy have transported ten additional extra-wide Bailey bridges to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagarbandhu.
The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said in a post on X that the bridges were carried aboard INS Gharial in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipyard and Army engineers. Indian Army engineers, working closely with the Sri Lankan Road Development Authority, are carrying out detailed damage assessments at seven critical bridge sites across Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Extra-wide Bailey bridges will be launched at these locations to re-establish vital lines of communication disrupted by the cyclone.
Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka late last year, caused widespread flooding, landslides and extensive infrastructure damage, overwhelming local disaster-response capabilities.
Earlier this year, in January, the Indian Army’s Engineer Task Force constructed a third Bailey bridge, 120 feet long, at KM 15 on the B-492 Highway in Sri Lanka. Located in the Central Province, the bridge reconnects Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, restoring a key route that had been severed for more than a month after the cyclone. This followed the prior successful launches of two Bailey bridges in the Jaffna and Kandy regions. Collectively, these engineering efforts have restored road connectivity, improved access to essential services and provided relief to affected communities.
Operation Sagarbandhu, launched in November 2025, has enabled India to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), including restoring roads, bridges and essential services. By rapidly re-establishing connectivity along the B-492 and other routes, the Indian Army has facilitated daily life for impacted communities and reinforced bilateral ties and goodwill between India and Sri Lanka.
This effort underscores India’s commitment to Sri Lanka and its Neighbourhood First policy, which emphasizes friendly, mutually beneficial relations and development cooperation with neighboring countries. India remains an active development partner across the region, engaging in infrastructure, connectivity, security and people-to-people initiatives with countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. (ANI)
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