Indian Army builds third Bailey Bridge in Sri Lanka, restores critical link after Cyclone Ditwah

The connection between the two regions had been severed following the devastation caused by the cyclone, which triggered severe flooding and landslides across the island nation.

The bridge was built under the Indian government’s Operation Sagar Bandhu initiative, aimed at providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Sri Lanka.

In a post on X, the Indian Army said: “The Indian Army's Engineer Task Force, after successfully launching two critical Bailey bridges in the Jaffna and Kandy regions, has constructed the third Bailey Bridge of length 120 feet at KM 15 on the B-492 Highway in Sri Lanka’s Central Province.”

Highlighting the bridge’s strategic importance, the Army added:

“Linking the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, the bridge will restore a vital lifeline that had been cut off for over a month in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.”

The Army noted that the initiative reaffirms India’s steadfast commitment to Sri Lanka under its Neighbourhood First policy.

Operation Sagar Bandhu

In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah—which caused widespread flooding, loss of life, and large-scale disruption across Sri Lanka—India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28 to provide urgent Search and Rescue operations, along with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to its closest maritime neighbour.

Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28 before moving back over the Bay of Bengal, triggering some of the worst flooding Sri Lanka has experienced since the early 2000s.

The worst-affected districts include Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam and Mannar, along with Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Deadly landslides in the central hill country also devastated Kandy, Badulla and Matale districts.

India–Sri Lanka relationship

India’s development cooperation with Sri Lanka remains one of the most significant pillars of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

According to the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka, India’s total credit assistance to the island nation exceeds USD 7 billion, including concessional loans, payment deferments and swap agreements.

India’s grant assistance currently stands at approximately USD 780 million, encompassing completed projects worth USD 390 million, ongoing projects valued at over USD 210 million, and projects worth USD 178 million in the pipeline.

The Government of India has been implementing people-centric development projects across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka, spanning sectors such as infrastructure, housing, healthcare, livelihoods and rehabilitation, education, agriculture, renewable energy, railways, and industrial development.