Indian Army Rebuilds Sri Lanka Roads After Cyclone, Wins Hearts with Gratitude

In a video posted by the Indian Army on X, a schoolgirl said, "We are really grateful to you for the service you have done for us, especially coming all the way from India. Due to the damaged bridge, we had no way of crossing over to this side. We are so thankful to all of you for coming and doing this for us. Thank you very much for the assistance you have provided."

While sharing the video and image on X, the army stated, "The Indian Army's Engineer Task Force is relentlessly restoring critical road connectivity on the vital B-492, linking Kandy in the Central Province with Badulla in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka, which was severely affected by Cyclone Ditwah."

"Through the swift construction of Bailey bridges at KM 15 and KM 21, the Task Force has reconnected communities, reduced travel time and strengthened bonds with the people of Sri Lanka," it added.

In November last year, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, as the First Responder in the immediate aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Ditwah, to provide urgent Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to Sri Lanka.

Cyclone Ditwah triggered widespread flooding, landslides and large-scale infrastructure damage across Sri Lanka, overwhelming the country's disaster-response mechanisms.

Indian Navy ships INS Vikrant and INS Udayagiri were among the first foreign vessels to respond to the emergency. Both warships were already present in Sri Lankan waters for the International Fleet Review 2025, organised to mark the Sri Lankan Navy's 75th anniversary, when the cyclone struck.

Following the cyclone's landfall on November 27 last year, the vessels were swiftly redeployed for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian Army intensified efforts to restore critical connectivity in Sri Lanka following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The Indian Army also established a field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, near the Kandy district in Sri Lanka and addressed urgent medical needs in the region. Under India's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, the deployment provided critical life-saving care, including trauma management, surgeries, and general medical treatment, serving approximately 1,000 to 1,200 patients daily.

- IANS