NDRF personnel in action during the flood rescue and relief operations in Sri Lanka. Photo: X/@airforcelk
India intensified humanitarian assistance and disaster response under Operation Sagar Bandhu on Saturday (November 29, 2025) for Sri Lanka as the island nation continued to deal with the aftermath of devastating Cyclone Ditwah which has left at least 159 persons dead. India has deployed INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri to assist the affected families and sent two large cargo aircraft carrying 21 tonnes of relief materials to Colombo.
In addition to the two ships, INS Sukanya left Vishakhapatnam with relief material and is expected to reach Sri Lanka soon, said official sources. High Commission of India in Colombo is helping stranded Indian passengers at Bandaranaike International Airport after flights were cancelled. They are being provided food, water and other assistance by Commission’s officials.
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 80 rescuers and four trained canines, led by P. K. Tiwary, Commandant, 8th Battalion, flew out from the Hindon Air Force Station early on Saturday on an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft bound for Colombo. These teams are equipped with inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, advanced communication gear, first-aid kits, and other essential rescue equipment to conduct search, rescue and humanitarian relief operations in affected areas of Sri Lanka. Indian Navy helicopters rescued several persons from flood-affected areas on Saturday, said the official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry.
This regional deployment is in addition to NDRF’s domestic preparations to deal with the cyclone’s aftermath. As of Saturday, 14 teams were already positioned across vulnerable coastal districts of Tamil Nadu including Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Mayiladuthurai. Further, additional teams were being mobilised for Puducherry, while 10 more teams from 5th Battalion (Pune) and 6th Battalion (Vadodara) are en route to Chennai as part of proactive readiness, an NDRF statement said.
The NDRF is monitoring the situation round-the-clock in close coordination with India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Disaster Management Agency, State governments, Foreign Ministry, and other key stakeholders to ensure synchronised and seamless response operations at both domestic and international levels, it added.
According to the IMD update on Saturday, Ditwah, which is stationed over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Sri Lanka, moved “nearly northwards” with the speed of 10 kmph during past six hours and lay about 80 km northeast of Jaffna (Sri Lanka), 90 km east-southeast of Vedaranniyam, 120 km southeast of Karaikal, 220 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 330 km south of Chennai.
“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30.
Light to moderate rainfall was likely over most parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, with heavy to very heavy showers at many locations and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) over coastal areas on November 29, extending to north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 30 before gradually decreasing on December 1. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema are expected to receive heavy rain on November 30, followed by a gradual reduction on December 1, the agency forecast added. The storm is expected to peter out off the Andhra coast in the sea by Monday.
Published – November 29, 2025 10:13 pm IST
