India Dispatches 10 Bailey Bridges to Sri Lanka for Cyclone Recovery

India on Saturday dispatched a consignment of 10 Bailey Bridges to Sri Lanka to aid in the restoration of critical connectivity in areas severely impacted by Cyclone Ditwah. The bridges were transported from Visakhapatnam to Colombo aboard INS Gharial, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The move is part of India’s ongoing support under its Special Economic Package of USD 450 million, announced during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent visit to Sri Lanka.

This latest consignment follows a series of infrastructure projects India has undertaken in Sri Lanka under its post-Ditwah reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Last week, a 120-foot Bailey Bridge on the B-492 Kandy–Ragala Road was inaugurated jointly by Deputy High Commissioner Satyanjal Pandey and Member of Parliament Manjula Suraweera Arachchi. The bridge restored an essential transport link, facilitating the movement of passengers, supplies, and local economic activity in the region.

The new bridges aim to strengthen access across Sri Lanka’s challenging hilly terrain, where Cyclone Ditwah had caused landslides and collapsed existing bridges. Earlier, a 100-foot Bailey Bridge was inaugurated on January 10 on the same road, marking India’s second bridge in the area under the $450 million assistance program. These infrastructure efforts are being coordinated closely with the Sri Lankan Army and the Road Development Authority (RDA) to ensure timely completion and maximum benefit for affected communities.

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Indian officials highlighted that the Bailey Bridges play a crucial role in re-establishing essential transport corridors, supporting emergency response, and reviving local economic activity disrupted by the cyclone. The initiative demonstrates India’s commitment to providing rapid humanitarian and reconstruction support to its neighboring country in the aftermath of natural disasters.

In the next phase of the program, additional Bailey Bridges are expected to be constructed over the coming weeks to ensure comprehensive restoration of connectivity across all cyclone-affected regions. Authorities emphasized that these efforts are part of a long-term plan to bolster resilience and infrastructure in vulnerable areas of Sri Lanka.

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