Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 38 ℃ | Low: 28 ℃ | Mostly sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Seven Wells Fish Market in the northern end of George Town is over 125 years old and the first separate market for sea produce in the city.
👚 Sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion is gaining popularity in the city thanks to new initiatives.
What’s it about? Consumers making meaningful choices is what drives sustainable fashion. In Chennai, it’s gaining popularity slowly but steadily. Fashion Revolution India recently hosted its ‘Mend in Public: Musical Chair of Mending’, to promote sustainability in fashion.
- The event aimed to encourage people to engage in mending through hand sewing and embroidery techniques. Fabric scraps were collected to make a larger textile art piece.
- Chennai has seen an increase in such events and initiatives. Tailoring units across the city discard damaged clothes rather than repair them and give them a new life.
Practical solutions: Events like this are meant to highlight everyday practical solutions for sustainable fashion. An old lehenga can be repurposed with a new blouse or dupatta.
🗣️ Women’s safety campaign
The Chennai Corporation’s campaign on women’s safety focuses on bystanders.
What’s it about? A lack of bystander intervention results in public harassment incidents going unreported. The Corporation’s Gender and Policy Lab launched the ‘Thappunu Therinja Pattunu Kelu’ (Question Immediately When You Know It’s Wrong) campaign with videos on how bystanders can safely intervene and help women.
- The videos show that a bystander doesn’t have to scream or resort to violence which could escalate the situation. The videos highlight the 5Ds in bystander intervention – distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct.
- The makers of the video didn’t want it to be preachy but informative and practical. One of the videos focuses on distraction as an indirect approach to allow the potential victim to safely distance herself.
Outreach: The Chennai Corporation hopes these videos will help educate and enlighten the public on public incidents of harassment and equip them with the necessary tools. The videos will soon be shown in theatres and public spaces.
🚘 Ford returns
Three years after halting operations at its Maraimalai Nagar facility, the company will restart its manufacturing plant.
What’s the history? Ford announced its exit from the state in 2021 to disappointment from the government and its thousands of employees. The Chennai plant was once a hub for vehicle and engine assembly but heavy losses and low demand forced it to shut shop. In the two years that followed, the state government worked behind the scenes to bring the company back.
- In July 2023, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa began fresh discussions with Ford in San Francisco. While there were no immediate announcements, discussions with the government continued into 2024.
- Officials explored the potential of the booming Electric Vehicle (EV) market. The state positioned itself as a hub for EV manufacturing. Aided by Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recent visit, Ford officially announced it would restart the Maraimalai Nagar plant.
A win-win: The company’s return to the state emphasises the importance of India to its global operations. The company continued to support its one million customers with service and aftermarket parts. It’s also a boost for Tamil Nadu’s manufacturing and business ecosystem, offering new opportunities for local employment and small businesses.
✈️ Sri Lankan Airlines expansion
The airline has plans to expand its operations in the Chennai market.
What’s it about? Sri Lankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall stated that the company plans to double its operations in the country in the next 10 years and enhance its customer experience for Indians. It plans to increase the frequency of Chennai flights.
- The airline already increased the number of flights from 22 to 25. By next year, it plans to add more aircraft after facing challenges procuring them due to the pandemic.
- The airline will operate more services and flights from Chennai in the coming years thanks to growth in tourism.
On-board services: The airline will serve Sri Lankan cuisine and drinks and play South Indian music. It also ensures that at least one staff member speaks Tamil.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever bought a painting?
- I have bought a painting.
- I haven’t bought a painting.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which local spots would you recommend to someone new in town?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Distance education students of the University of Madras didn’t receive their printed textbooks.
- Two-wheelers will be restricted to the service lanes in the upcoming peripheral ring road.
- A 13-year-old student set a new world record with an 800 kg millet portrait of PM Modi.
- The Luxury Art Show, curated by artist Jitha Karthikeyan, explored time’s many dimensions.
- Local police detained 100 workers and union leaders, escalating a week-long strike against Samsung.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have had to pay a traffic fine: 40.0%
- I’ve never had to pay a traffic fine: 60.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your usual bedtime?
Suchi: “9:30 pm”
Shiva: “1-2 am (redditor)”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!