Colombo/Visakhapatnam, Jan 31 (NationPress) India has sent a batch of 10 Bailey Bridges to Colombo to help restore vital connectivity in regions of Sri Lanka that were severely impacted by Cyclone Ditwah.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared on X, "India remains committed to assisting Sri Lanka in its reconstruction after Cyclone Ditwah. A shipment of 10 Bailey Bridges was dispatched today from Visakhapatnam to Colombo on the vessel INS Gharial."

As stated by the MEA, this delivery is part of India’s Special Economic Package worth USD 450 million, which was announced during the recent visit of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to Sri Lanka, following India’s emergency Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation known as Operation SagarBandhu.

Previously, a 120-foot Bailey Bridge on the B-492 Kandy–Ragala Road was jointly inaugurated by Satyanjal Pandey, the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, and Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, a Member of Parliament, as part of India’s Post-Ditwah Reconstruction Assistance.

This newly inaugurated bridge has restored a crucial road link, enhancing connectivity for local communities. It reestablished a vital transport corridor essential for the movement of passengers, supply of necessary goods, and revitalization of local economic activities.

According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, this marks the second Bailey Bridge constructed on the Kandy–Ragala Road under India’s USD 450 million Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Assistance to Sri Lanka. This follows the earlier inauguration of a 100-foot Bailey Bridge on the same road (KM-21) on January 10, 2026, by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, and the Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Madhura Senevirathna.

The project is part of India’s reconstruction and rehabilitation assistance provided to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah, which resulted in significant disruptions to connectivity due to landslides and the collapse of existing bridges. The new Bailey Bridges have greatly enhanced access and mobility for communities in the affected regions, especially in difficult hilly terrain. These restoration endeavors are being executed in close collaboration with the Sri Lankan Army and the Road Development Authority (RDA), as stated by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

In the subsequent phase, more Bailey Bridges will be constructed in the upcoming weeks to ensure a thorough restoration of connectivity across all impacted regions.