Operation Sagar Bandhu: India Sends 53 Tonnes of Relief to Sri Lanka, Brings Back 2,000+ Stranded Indians

Standing firmly with Sri Lanka after the massive devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, India has delivered 53 tonnes of relief material and rescued over 2,000 stranded Indian nationals from the island nation.

Launched on November 28, Operation Sagar Bandhu aims to provide urgent search-and-rescue support and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to India’s closest maritime neighbour as severe floods, loss of life, and widespread damage continue across Sri Lanka.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India coordinated closely with Sri Lankan authorities to quickly provide:

• 9.5 tonnes of emergency supplies through two Indian Navy ships in Colombo

• 31.5 tonnes of relief items via three Indian Air Force aircraft, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food, medicines, and surgical equipment

• Two BHISHM medical cubes with a five-member team for on-site medical training

• 80-member NDRF Urban Search and Rescue team to support rescue missions

In addition, INS Sukanya delivered another 12 tonnes of essential supplies, bringing the total relief support to 53 tonnes.

Large-Scale Rescue Operations

Under joint operations with the Sri Lankan Air Force, Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant and IAF Mi-17 helicopters carried out extensive rescue missions—airlifting injured persons, infants, pregnant women, and stranded people of various nationalities, including Sri Lankan, Indian, German, Slovenian, British, South African, Polish, Belarusian, Iranian, Australian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi citizens.

More than 150 people have been rescued so far, and operations are still underway.

Indian Air Force helicopters also:

• Evacuated 57 people, including 10 children, from Irunguwatta to Matale

• Delivered 2.5 tonnes of rations to Kegalle

• Evacuated 34 citizens from Kotmale to Colombo

• Distributed medical aid and essential supplies in remote regions

An IAF C-130J aircraft also landed in Sri Lanka carrying over 4 tonnes of BHISHM trauma cubes, compact mobile medical units designed for emergencies.

Evacuation of Indian Nationals

Special IAF and commercial flights have already brought back more than 2,000 Indians stranded due to Cyclone Ditwah.

The MEA stated that India, guided by its Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, will remain Sri Lanka’s First Responder and continue supporting ongoing rescue, relief, and early recovery efforts.

Sri Lanka’s Ongoing Crisis

According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC):

• 355 deaths have been reported

• 366 people are missing

• More than 11 lakh people from over 3 lakh families have been affected

• Communication issues continue to challenge rescue teams

Telecom operators in Sri Lanka have now been directed to prioritise emergency calls to ease network congestion