Tamil Nadu: Truck Driver Living In Damaged Hut Gets New House As Diwali Gift From School Friends

In a heartwarming gesture, a 44-year-old truck driver from Tamil Nadu's Pudukkotai who had been severely impacted due to the coronavirus pandemic and was forced to survive on measly income was gifted a newly-constructed house by one of his childhood friends.

Times Now reported that Muthukumar earned ₹10,000-₹15,000 before the lockdown was imposed, however, after the stringent lockdown was lifted, the truck driver found his income reduced to a meagre ₹2,000 due to the crisis hitting the economy.

The publication further reported that he was the sole breadwinner in a family of six. Cyclone Gaja. that had hit the state in 2018, had damaged his hut and he was unable to provide for the repair expenses amid the financial difficulties.

"I am staying in the same house since I was born. I have been driving trucks to make ends meet, but lockdown reduced my income measly for the past six months. Trees around my house fell during Gaja cyclone two years ago and since then my house has been in a bad shape," Muthukumar said.

He met his school friend, K Nagendran, at their school teacher's house in September and invited him over to his house. Nagendran was disturbed to find one of his oldest friends living in a ravaged house and decided to extend help.

"I met my friend almost 30 years after we finished school. I was distressed to see the condition of his house. Gaja cyclone had destroyed the trees around his house and the roof of his house. One needed to bend to even enter his house. I knew that I had to help him. I formed a Whatsapp group and sent photos and videos of his house. Many came forward to help him," said Nagendran said.

Nagendran stated that he and his friends got a new house constructed for Muthukumar. The house took nearly three months to be built and cost ₹1.5 lakh.

They gifted the house to Muthukumar and his family as a Diwali gift and reportedly also constructed a small hut nearby for Muthukumar's mother.

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