India hands over another consignment of Bailey bridges to Sri Lanka

India has handed over a third consignment of Bailey bridges to Sri Lanka to support the reconstruction of rural roads severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said.

In a post on X, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka confirmed that the latest delivery, weighing over 250 metric tonnes (MT), was handed over on August 8 as part of India’s $450 million post-disaster reconstruction package.

“The next set of Bailey Bridges, weighing over 250 MT, was handed over by the Deputy High Commissioner @Maitrey_K to Hon. Upali Samarasinghe, Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development, Sri Lanka,” the post said.

“Bridges that reconnect communities and rebuild lives… Indian Army engineers will install them across the island, helping restore vital connectivity and strengthen infrastructure,” the High Commission said in the post.

According to the Ministry of Transport, this third donation includes five modular Bailey bridges valued at over $5 million, following two previous consignments supplied by India.

The $450 million post-disaster reconstruction package was announced on December 23, 2025, during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka. It includes $350 million in concessional Lines of Credit and $100 million in grants. In November, Sri Lanka grappled with one of its worst disasters as cyclonic storm Ditwah wreaked havoc, causing floods and landslides that killed more than 640 people and left 173 missing, amid a trail of destruction and damage to infrastructure.

India launched ’Operation Sagar Bandhu’ on November 28 to provide relief and recovery assistance and restore connectivity in Sri Lanka.

In December, a parliamentary oversight committee was told that Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority has incurred a loss of nearly SLR 75 billion due to the destruction of roads and bridges caused by the devastating Cyclone Ditwah.