India Responds With Op Sagar Bandhu to Aid Cyclone-Hit Sri Lanka, Highlights ‘Neighbourhood First’ and MAHASAGAR Vision

Colombo: As Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka, the Government of India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, which mobilised aid and assistance for the island nation, along with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and 80 NDRF personnel working round the clock in safeguarding lives and extending timely assistance.

So far, India has airlifted 27 tonnes of relief material to Colombo. As per the details shared by the Indian Air Force, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Indian Air Force has positioned Mi-17 V5 helicopters in Colombo for swift HADR operations.

Military transport helicopter C-130 and the multipurpose Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from Hindan Air Base on Friday night, which airlifted 21 tonnes of relief material along with over 80 NDRF personnel and 8 tonnes of equipment to Colombo.

EAM shared that relief material was also handed over to Colombo from INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, along with two Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant, taking off for Search and Rescue Operations with Sri Lankan Air Force personnel onboard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. He prayed for the safety, comfort, and swift recovery of all affected families.

In a strong gesture of solidarity with India's closest maritime neighbour, the Government of India has urgently dispatched relief materials and vital Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support under Operation Sagar Bandhu. India stands ready to provide additional aid and assistance as the situation evolves. Guided by the principles of India's Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed that India will continue to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in its hour of need.

Ten years after India's SAGAR vision, which was the guiding force behind India's active regional role, aiming to bring stability and inclusive growth across the Indo-Pacific, PM Modi in March 2025 announced the Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions-MAHASAGAR-doctrine during his visit to Mauritius, which expands on SAGAR's goals.

Based on India's Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR outlook, the country continues to act as a first responder in crises and a net security provider in the region. MAHASAGAR marks a strategic evolution from a regional focus on the Indian Ocean to a global maritime vision, with particular emphasis on the global south.

Daily Mirror Online reported that two Indian Navy helicopters rescued eight people trapped by floodwaters in Pannala, and citing officials mentioned that four Indian helicopters are currently involved in rescue missions across the country and are working together with the Sri Lanka Air Force, Navy, Army, Police, and other first responders to carry out evacuations, delivering emergency supplies, and assisting communities affected by flooding across the island.

EAM Jaishankar had shared on Friday that as a part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri handed over relief material at Colombo. The Sri Lankan Air Force shared in a post on X on Friday that an IAF C-130 carrying disaster relief from the Govt of India arrived at BIA this morning. The aid was handed over by officials from the Indian High Commission to SLAF Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Lasitha Sumanaweera.

On November 29, the Indian High Commission shared on X that the NDRF personnel were actively conducting rescue operations in inaccessible areas affected by flooding, bringing stranded people to safety. Evacuations to continue overnight in close coordination with the Lankan authorities.

India is additionally supporting stranded passengers at Bandaranaike International Airport, where severe weather has disrupted air traffic. The Indian High Commission in Colombo is providing affected Indian travellers with food, water and assistance.

Citing the Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC), Daily Mirror Online reported that as of Saturday evening, the death toll rose to 153, with 191 people still missing in the wake of cyclone Ditwah. The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Saturday.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday issued an extraordinary gazette notification declaring a state of public emergency in Sri Lanka. The gazette notification has been issued in the wake of the widespread destruction left by Cyclone Ditwah. 

ALSO READ: Five 6th Battalion NDRF Teams Airlifted from Vadodara to Chennai as Cyclone Ditwah Intensifies