India sends more naval ships to Sri Lanka with relief supplies under Operation Sagar Bandhu

NEW DELHI: India has expanded its humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the recent cyclone, with four more naval ships deployed to deliver essential relief material as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian Navy said on Monday.

According to the Navy, INS Gharial, LCU 54 LCU 51and LCU 57 have been tasked with transporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) stores to affected regions across Sri Lanka.

Three of the ships, LCU 54, LCU 51 and LCU 57, reached Colombo on the morning of December 7 and handed over critical supplies to local authorities.

INS Gharial is expected to arrive in Trincomalee on December 8 to continue the relief operations.

The latest deployment follows earlier assistance delivered by INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri and INS Sukanya, which carried out relief missions and helicopter-borne search and rescue operations under the ongoing effort.

With 1,000 tonnes of relief supplies onboard, this mission reinforces the strong people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka and reflects the Indian Navy’s commitment to providing timely humanitarian support to our Indian Ocean Region neighbours, as per the statement.

Another statement added that the initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision of ‘Mahasagar’, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring rapid assistance during crises.

The relief operation comes as Sri Lanka continues to recover from the cyclone’s impact, with India stepping up support through sustained maritime assistance.

As India continues to support Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan MP Namal Rajapaksa met Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and expressed gratitude for India’s continued relief and rescue assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu.

During the meeting, the High Commissioner reiterated that India would continue to support the people of Sri Lanka in their rebuilding and recovery efforts.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said, “Hon. MP @RajapaksaNamal met High Commissioner @santjha and thanked India for the ongoing relief and rescue efforts under #OperationSagarBandhu. HC reiterated that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts to rebuild and recover.”

Indian rescue and relief operations continue in full swing as Indian Army engineers have begun joint efforts with Sri Lankan Army engineers to restore vital connectivity for affected communities.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission said the Indian and Sri Lankan Army engineers have begun removing the damaged bridge on the Paranthan-Karachchi-Mullaitivu (A35) road in Kilinochchi.”#OperationSagarBandhu rebuilding connectivity!@adgpi Engineers, together with @Sri_Lanka_Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, have begun removing the damaged bridge on the Paranthan-Karachchi-Mullaitivu (A35) road in Kilinochchi. This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities.”

This comes as India has sent about 1000 tonnes of essential food items and clothes to Cyclone Ditwah-hit Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo in 3 Indian Naval Ships on Sunday morning. High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the relief materials to Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development of Sri Lanka. (ANI)