An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft carrying the second shipment of about 30 tonnes of relief items arrived yesterday and was handed over to the Ministry of Disaster Management, the Indian High Commission said.

The aid material included sugar, pulses, milk powder, around 20,000 ready to eat meals, 20,000 water purifier tablets and one thousand mattresses.

Earlier, the first consignment of about 25 tonnes arrived in Sri Lanka on January 14. On 15 January 2011, High Commissioner of India Mr. Ashok K. Kantha accompanied Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa to Batticaloa and participated in the distribution of the first consignment of Indian relief material to flood affected people.

India has expressed its solidarity with the Sri Lankan government at this difficult moment and stands ready to assist it to deal with this humanitarian challenge, Indian officials said.