India has stepped up its post-disaster assistance to Sri Lanka with the delivery of 10 additional Bailey bridges under its 450-million-dollar assistance package for reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah. The bridge material reached Colombo aboard the Indian Navy ship INS Gharial yesterday on the occasion of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.
The bridges were officially handed over to Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister for Ports and Aviation, Janith Ruwan Kodithuwakku, today at the Colombo Port. The bridges will be deployed at places where road connectivity has been cut off after Cyclone Ditwah destroyed several bridges in the island nation. India has already completed one bridge at Kilinochchi and two bridges in the central province, restoring connectivity in these regions.
