Ditvaha havoc in Sri Lanka; 465 deaths, thousands rendered homeless… India intensifies ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ relief campaign

Cyclone Ditvaah In Sri Lanka: The situation in Sri Lanka is continuously worsening due to heavy rains, floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditvaah. Flood waters have still not receded in many parts of the country and the danger of landslides remains in new areas. Meanwhile, India has intensified its relief and rescue operation Operation Sagar Bandhu under the ‘Neighborhood First’ policy. The Indian External Affairs Ministry on Friday shared major updates related to this relief mission.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed that another C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force has reached Colombo, in which Bailey bridge units have been sent to restore road traffic. Along with the aircraft, a 25-member team including engineers and medical experts has also landed in Sri Lanka, which is speeding up the ground operations.

Relief operations intensified

NDRF teams sent by India have further intensified relief operations in Sedawatta and Nadigama areas. Recently, the teams rescued a visually impaired senior citizen and an injured woman and provided medical aid on the spot.

The Indian High Commission said on social media platform X that the NDRF is continuously engaged in “life-saving operations” and is providing relief to the affected people in collaboration with the local administration.

Aerial survey of affected areas

Earlier on November 28, India had immediately launched Operation Sagar Bandhu following the widespread devastation caused by the cyclone. Under this, INS Vikrant and INS Udayagiri reached the shores of Sri Lanka and immediately distributed relief material.

Helicopters deployed from both the warships conducted aerial survey of the affected areas and contributed significantly to the search and rescue operations. According to an Indian Navy spokesperson, these missions “played a vital role in saving thousands of lives and essential life needs.”

neighbor-first policy

Additionally, INS Sukanya arrived Trincomalee on 1 December, where she handed over essential emergency relief items to the Sri Lankan Administration. The Indian Navy says the operation further strengthens India’s role as a “first responder” in the Indian Ocean region and further advances India’s “Ocean Vision” and Neighbor-First Policy.

On the other hand, the scope of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditvaha in Sri Lanka is continuously increasing. According to the Daily Mirror report, the death toll so far has reached 465, while 366 people are still missing. Kandi district was the worst affected, where 118 deaths were recorded.

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Overall, more than 1.5 million people have been affected by the disaster, while 2.32 lakh people from more than 61,000 families have been forced to take shelter in relief camps. The Sri Lankan government has described the situation as an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis”. India’s prompt assistance and relief operation is not only important from a humanitarian perspective, but also strengthens its long-standing friendship and trust with Sri Lanka.