Cyclone Ditwah: India Sends Massive Assistance Under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’
PM Modi launches ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ with massive relief.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced comprehensive humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, which has been devastated by Cyclone Ditwah, under a newly activated mission named ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’. The cyclone has claimed at least 56 lives, triggered widespread landslides and flooding, and affected more than 43,900 people from over 12,300 families across multiple districts, according to official Sri Lankan figures.
India’s flagship indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and the latest stealth frigate INS Udaygiri, both participating in the ongoing International Fleet Review to mark the Sri Lanka Navy’s 75th anniversary, were immediately repurposed for disaster relief. The two warships delivered the first consignment of emergency supplies, including food packets, medicines, drinking water, and temporary shelter material, directly at Colombo port, dramatically cutting response time.
In a personal message posted on social media, Prime Minister Modi conveyed deepest condolences to families who lost loved ones and prayed for the swift recovery of those injured or displaced. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to extend all possible additional assistance as the situation evolves, invoking the Neighbourhood First policy and the Vision MAHASAGAR framework for security and growth in the Indian Ocean region that he had unveiled earlier this year.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar formally declared the commencement of ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, revealing that Sri Lankan authorities had specifically requested utilisation of INS Vikrant’s air wing for aerial reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, and rapid delivery of relief to remote and cut-off areas where roads remain blocked by landslides.
As more relief flights and naval consignments are being readied in southern India, New Delhi’s swift and large-scale response has underscored its position as the region’s primary security and humanitarian provider, reinforcing maritime neighbourly bonds at a moment when Sri Lanka is grappling with one of its worst natural disasters in recent years.
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