New Delhi, February 6 (ANI) — As reconstruction after Cyclone Ditwah continues, the Indian Army and Navy have delivered ten extra-wide Bailey bridges to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagarbandhu. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said on X that the bridges were transported aboard INS Gharial in coordination with Garden Reach Shipyard and Indian Army engineers.
Indian Army engineering teams, working with the Sri Lankan Road Development Authority, are conducting detailed damage assessments at seven critical bridge sites across Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Extra-wide Bailey bridges will be installed at these locations to restore key lines of communication disrupted by the cyclone.
Cyclone Ditwah, which hit Sri Lanka late last year, produced widespread flooding, landslides and heavy infrastructure damage that strained local disaster-response capacities. In January, the Indian Army’s Engineer Task Force completed a 120-foot Bailey bridge at KM 15 on the B-492 Highway in Central Province, reconnecting the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts after the route had been severed for more than a month. That work followed earlier launches of two Bailey bridges in the Jaffna and Kandy areas. Together, these engineering efforts have reopened road links, improved access to services and delivered relief to affected communities.
Operation Sagarbandhu, launched in November 2025, has enabled India to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), including restoration of roads, bridges and essential services. Rapidly re-establishing connectivity along the B-492 and other routes has helped normalise daily life for impacted populations and strengthened bilateral ties and goodwill between India and Sri Lanka.
Officials say the operation reflects India’s commitment under its Neighbourhood First policy, which prioritises close, mutually beneficial relations and development cooperation with neighbouring countries. India continues to engage across the region on infrastructure, connectivity, security and people-to-people initiatives with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed from ANI and is republished as received.)
