Indian Naval Ship Shakti set sail to Colombo with 100 tons (5 containers) of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) on board from Visakhapatnam on 19 August 2021. A Press Release issued by the Indian High Commission said.
Named Operation Samudra Setu-II, deployment of the Indian Naval Vessel for the delivery of oxygen was in response to a personal request for assistance by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for urgent supply of LMO. the release further said.
“The Vessel is scheduled to arrive Colombo on 22 August 2021.
Sri Lankan Naval Vessel Shakthi with 40 tons of LMO on board also commenced its journey from Chennai to Colombo around the same time as INS Shakti.
It was a rare instance wherein two Shakti vessels commenced their journey from two different ports in India to the same destination almost at the same time for a common purpose.
In addition, another 140 tons of LMO from Haldia and Chennai ports are also expected to reach Colombo during the coming week.
India’s assistance to Sri Lanka during the pandemic has been varied and need-based in nature. Close to 26 tons of essential medical supplies were gifted in April-May 2020. Currency swap of USD 400 million was provided in July 2020. The first consignment of vaccines which was donated by India in January 2021 enabled Sri Lanka to roll out their vaccination programme ahead of schedule.”
