Colombo, Jan 21 (PTI) The third Bailey Bridge in Sri Lanka was opened for traffic on Wednesday as part of India’s assistance package supporting the island nation’s recovery post cyclone Ditwah.
The bridge re-establishes critical connectivity in Sri Lanka’s central province, improving access to essential services, tourism centres, and local markets in the region, a statement issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo on Wednesday said. The bridge was jointly inaugurated by Dr Satyanjal Pandey, Deputy High Commissioner of India and Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, MP, Nuwara Eliya.
“As part of India’s USD 450 million assistance package supporting Sri Lanka’s recovery post cyclone Ditwah, another 120 ft Bailey Bridge, the third bridge so far on the B492 highway, has been completed by Indian Army engineers in coordination with Sri Lankan authorities”, it said. The package was announced during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka. It includes USD 350 million in concessional Lines of Credit and USD 100 million in grants. India launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ on November 28 to provide relief, recovery assistance and restore connectivity in Sri Lanka.
This was in addition to the medicine and field hospitals that India set up in the island nation. PTI CORR RD RD RD
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