Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 27 ℃ | Mostly sunny for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Woodland’s Drive-in restaurant, established in 1962, was South India’s first drive-in restaurant.
🚀 Reusable hybrid rocket launch
Chenna-based startup launched India’s first reusable hybrid rocket.
What’s it about? Space Zone India along with the Marina Group, launched India’s first reusable hybrid rocket, called the RHUMI-1, from Thiruvidandhai. It was launched into a suborbital trajectory using a mobile launcher.
- The 3.5 metre-tall 80kg rocket carried 3 Cube Satellites and 50 PICO satellites to collect data on cosmic radiation, ozone levels, and toxic air content.
- The rocket reached a maximum altitude of 35 km before releasing its payloads. It was located 1.8 km off the coast, and scuba divers will recover it.
Sustainable: The rocket was equipped with a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer, making it 100% pyrotechnic-free. It has liquid and solid fuel propellant systems to improve efficiency.
🥩 Sourcing safe meat
Health officials met with hoteliers to increase awareness of sourcing meat from authorised sources.
What’s it about? Health Department officials met with the association of hotels, chefs, and food & beverage managers to increase awareness of sourcing meat. The meeting came less than a week after officials seized four-day-old meat weighing 1,600 kg from Rajasthan.
- Most vendors get their meat from other states that don’t have FSSAI licenses and don’t maintain their cold storage. The meat begins to decompose if it isn’t properly stored.
- The meat is packed in ice which is mixed with chemicals to make the meat look fresh.
Best practices: Officials informed hoteliers and chefs that once the meat is cut, it should be stored at -18 degrees Celsius in cold storage. If not, it can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
🏊♀️ Marina pool to reopen
The Marina swimming pool will reopen after being locked for three months.
What’s the story so far? The Chennai Corporation was forced to close the public swimming pool in Marina Beach and others in Vepery and Thiruvottiyur. Officials decided to terminate the agreement with the contractor due to poor maintenance. The civic body will now do deep-cleaning to get it ready.
- The Chennai Corporation will maintain and operate the pool for three months. The ticketing system will help it generate revenue. New swimming coaches will also be hired, along with QR code entry and payments.
- The swimming pool is generally open to the public from 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm. Persons with disabilities want the pool to be more accessible and safer with ramps, railings, and tactile flooring.
Other pools? The other swimming pools in Vepery and Thiruvottiyur will also open after they’ve been inspected by officials.
🚇 Altering metro design
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) altered the design of the Kilambakkam-Airport route.
What’s it about? The original proposed design for the Kilambakkam – Airport line was expensive. The CMRL and the state highways department have redrawn the design and reduced the overall construction cost by ₹1,000 crore.
- The original design had a three-level structure – the metro at the top, an expressway in the middle, and the existing Pallavaram flyover below. Similar structures were planned at the Chromepet roundabout and the Tambaram flyover.
- The new plan has only two levels. Since the road width is only 30 metres, a flyover can be built on either side without integrating it with the metro line at a lower height overall.
Feasibility: The CMRL is studying integrating the metro with existing structures at Chromepet, Pallavaram, and Tambaram to reduce the height and cost.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you stayed at a 5-star hotel?
- I have stayed at a 5-star hotel.
- I haven’t stayed at a 5-star hotel.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite meat to eat?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- A new book by cyclist Ramanujar Moulana covers the trails of dargahs and markets in Chennai.
- The Chennai Corporation is still awaiting NOCs from the police to clear abandoned vehicles.
- US officials and the Mayor discussed the importance of sustainable water management.
- Udhayanidhi Stalin directed officials to make India’s first F4 night race successful.
- Space startup GalaxEye, founded by IIT Madras alumni, plan to launch satellites in 2025.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!