A Dubai-based businessman has pledged to build 50 homes for families affected by the recent devastating landslides that hit villages in Wayanad district in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
PNC Menon, founder and chairman of Sobha Group, said in a statement sent to Khaleej Times on Friday: “In this hour of distress, we stand in solidarity with the people of Wayanad. Our pledge to build 50 homes is aimed at providing not only immediate relief but also long-term support to the affected families.”
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More than 300 people were reportedly killed in landslides that swept through tea estates and villages in southern India’s Kerala on Tuesday. While people were asleep, the unexpected heavy rain collapsed hillsides, triggering torrents of mud, water, and rolling boulders.
Several UAE residents and businessmen immediately came forward to help survivors. Dubai resident Shajahan Kuttiyath, who is originally from Wayanad and lost nearly 100 relatives in the landslide, told Khaleej Times that he and his friends have initiated relief operations.
Chairman and managing director of LuLu Group MA Yusuff Ali and B. Ravi Pillai, chairman of the RP Group, have each donated approximately Dh2 million to the distress relief fund. VPS Healthcare and Aster DM Healthcare also made contributions.
Selection process for beneficiaries
Menon, who also expressed his condolences for the lives lost, said “the selection process for the beneficiary families will be based on impartial criteria, ensuring that the aid reaches those most in need”.
The construction of 50 homes in Wayanad would be in an addition to the 1,000 houses that Sobha Group is already building for underprivileged families in Palakkad district in Kerala. The construction and funding of these homes will be managed through the Sri Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust.