Colombo [Sri Lanka], January 17 (ANI): The Indian Army's Engineer Task Force has successfully constructed the third Bailey Bridge, measuring 120 feet, at KM 15 on the B-492 Highway in Sri Lanka.

The bridge, located in the Central Province, reconnects the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, restoring a critical lifeline that had remained disrupted for over a month following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Taking to social media X, the Indian Army posted, 'The Indian Army's Engineer Task Force, after successfully launching two critical Bailey bridges in the Jaffna and Kandy regions, has constructed the third Bailey Bridge of length 120 feet at KM 15 on the B-492 Highway in Sri Lanka's Central Province.'

'Linking the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, the bridge will restore a vital lifeline which was cut off for over a month in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. This effort reaffirms India's steadfast commitment to Sri Lanka and the Neighbourhood First policy,' the post read.

This achievement follows the earlier successful launch of two Bailey bridges in the Jaffna and Kandy regions. Collectively, these engineering efforts have restored road connectivity, improved access to essential services, and provided much-needed relief to communities affected by the cyclone.

Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka late last year, triggered widespread flooding, landslides, and large-scale infrastructure damage, overwhelming local disaster-response mechanisms.

Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched in November 2025, enabled India to provide urgent Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), including restoration of roads, bridges, and essential services. By swiftly reestablishing connectivity along the B-492, the Indian Army has not only facilitated daily life for affected communities but also strengthened bilateral ties and goodwill between India and Sri Lanka.

This effort reaffirms India's steadfast commitment to Sri Lanka and the Neighbourhood First policy.

Under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, Government is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours.

India is an active development partner and is involved in several projects in the following countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. India's policy of 'Neighbourhood First' focuses on creating mutually beneficial, people-oriented, regional frameworks for stability and prosperity. India's engagement with these countries is based on a consultative, non-reciprocal and outcome-oriented approach, which focuses on delivering benefits like greater connectivity, improved infrastructure, stronger development cooperation in various sectors area, security and broader people-to-people contacts.

Strengthening India's ties with Sri Lanka, earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Sri Lanka Parliament Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) held in New Delhi.

They discussed close parliamentary cooperation and recalled the time-tested bonds of friendship, mutual support, and shared democratic traditions between India and Sri Lanka. The two leaders also discussed deeper engagement in technology-driven parliamentary innovation.

'Recalled our earlier interactions and the strong, time-tested bonds between India and Sri Lanka, rooted in close friendship, mutual support, and shared democratic traditions. Our discussions highlighted close Parliament-to-Parliament cooperation, including regular exchanges, formation of friendship groups, and collaboration in policy and programme design,' Om Birla said in a post on X.

'We discussed deeper engagement in technology-driven parliamentary innovation, including AI-enabled systems, real-time multilingual translation, and capacity building through PRIDE. Hoped that the strong people-to-people connect, cultural linkages including Bodh Gaya as a shared pilgrimage centre, and continued parliamentary dialogue will further strengthen India-Sri Lanka relations in the years ahead,' he added. (ANI)