Kerala Floods: Google Pledges $1 Million for Relief Work

Google will contribute $1 million (nearly Rs. 7 crores) to the relief and restoration work in Kerala which has been battered by severe floods, a top company official said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"Google.org and Googlers will contribute $1 million to the relief work in Kerala," Rajan Anandan, Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, said at the Google for India event.

Google Crisis Response team has launched several measures to help victims of Kerala floods.

Among other measures, it activated the Google Person Finder tool, which fetched 22,000 records, Anandan said.

As many as 417 people have lost their lives ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala on May 29, with some 8.69 lakh displaced people sheltered in 2,787 relief camps.

Last week, rival silicon valley giant Apple also announced it would donate Rs. 7 crores towards the ongoing relief work.

"We're heartbroken by the catastrophic flooding in Kerala. Apple is donating Rs. 7 crores to support the life-saving work Mercy Corps India and the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund are undertaking to support survivors, help those who have been displaced and rebuild homes and schools," the Cupertino-based iPhone maker said in a statement.

Apple has also added support banners to its home page, along with App Store and iTunes Store, allowing customers to donate to Mercy Corps.

Several other tech companies have been doing their bit trying to aid victims of the the Kerala Floods, which claimed hundreds of lives and dislocated hundreds of thousands from their homes.