India has handed over a third consignment of Bailey bridges to Sri Lanka, the High Commission of India in Colombo confirmed, in a delivery aimed at restoring rural roads severed by Cyclone Ditwah.
The consignment, weighing more than 250 metric tonnes, was transferred on August 8, according to a statement posted by the High Commission on X and carried by Daily Mirror, NewsFirst and the news agency ANI.
Five bridges valued above $5 million
Citing the Ministry of Transport, NewsFirst reported that the third donation comprises five modular Bailey bridges valued at over USD 5 million, and follows two earlier consignments supplied by New Delhi.
Indian Army engineers will assist local authorities in assembling and installing the spans in affected areas across the island, the High Commission said, describing the aim as restoring vital connectivity and strengthening critical infrastructure.
“Bridges that reconnect communities and rebuild lives,” the High Commission’s statement said of the handover.
Second delivery in three days
The transfer comes just two days after a separate consignment of approximately 251 tonnes was handed over on August 6 by Deputy High Commissioner Maitrey K to Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development Upali Samarasinghe. ANI reported both deliveries as distinct events.
Bailey bridges are prefabricated modular steel spans that can be assembled rapidly without heavy plant, which has made them the standard response where cyclone damage cut road links and permanent replacements remain years away.
The bridging programme is one of the more visible components of the USD 450 million reconstruction and rehabilitation package India announced after Cyclone Ditwah. A consignment of 10 Bailey bridges was delivered in February, and Indian Army engineers have since built several spans in cyclone-affected districts.
The deliveries follow Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s official visit to Colombo and a separate $350 million credit line extended for Ditwah reconstruction.
Sources: Daily Mirror, NewsFirst, ANI.
