Good morning, Chennai!
🌥️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Mostly cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The first-ever feature film in India, “Raja Harishchandra,” was made by Dadasaheb Phalke in Chennai in 1913.
🩸 Challenging taboos
Unique pieces of art challenge the taboo of menstruation and promote gender awareness.
What’s it about? Social worker Sabaritha and her friend Shruthi joined hands to start the Menses with Men campaign. Using art as a tool, they decided to use menstrual blood to draw artworks. It’s a conversation starter for men to understand what women go through and the stigma surrounding it.
- A picture is first converted into a digital format and then printed for hygiene purposes. The blood is then used to create art using brush and buds.
- One of their installations was on show at the Alt-Art Festival. A chair was kept with an acrylic layer of stain on the seat. A camera was kept below so people could take photos.
Breaking taboos and stereotypes: The duo started a podcast where people shared their menstruation journeys. The goal is to spread awareness of how puberty and periods are used as tools of oppression and have caste and socio-economic dynamics.
🏃♀️ Kabaddi team breaks barriers
The all-girls Kannagi Nagar Kabaddi team has tasted success and it’s only the beginning.
What’s it about? The team’s jerseys don’t have their individual names but only of their neighbourhood. It was a conscious decision. When they play in tournaments outside the city or state, they don’t mention Chennai. Instead, they use Kannagi Nagar. Their success has come despite practising in the corner of a public park.
- Their coach, K Raji, wanted to help change Kannagi Nagar’s negative reputation. The goal is to make the area a brand, home to 20,000 low-income families along the city’s IT corridor.
- The team began with Raji recruiting his sister and her interested friends. The initial years were filled with losses in small local tournaments. That changed over the past two years.
Bigger things: Six of the girls have represented Tamil Nadu in national tournaments. Two of them have been selected for a national camp. They were also part of the victorious team that recently won gold in the Chief Minister’s Trophy.
🛰️ Spacetech startup secures funding
The IIT-Madras incubated startup GalaxEye secured $10 million in new funding to help boost the country’s space sector.
What’s it about? The startup secured $10 million in Series A funding to help further develop the company’s cutting-edge satellite technology. The funding was led by MountTech Growth Fund – Kavachh, an investment fund founded by former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
- The company’s primary objective is to launch a constellation of micro-satellites equipped with advanced multi-sensor technology. They will capture high-resolution images and data to provide real-time insights for the government and the private sector.
- The first launch is slated for next year. The mission will help serve sectors including defence, agriculture, and maritime.
What’s next? The company aims to have a fully operational micro-satellite constellation by 2027.
🌊 Report on Chembarambakkam Lake
The Thiruppugazh committee has submitted a report on waterlogging after the floodgates of Chembarambakkam Lake were opened.
What’s it about? The sudden opening of the floodgates of the Chembarambakkam Lake to let out surplus water flooded many parts of South Chennai. The government-appointed Thiruppugazh committee submitted a report on the issue. It analysed water flow and similar issues across the world and suggested recommendations.
- The original drainage system was well managed, and flooding was mainly due to excessive rains. Increased construction along the drainage blocks of the Buckingham Canal has made them unworkable.
- The report highlighted the role of people in understanding monsoons and ensuring they’re adequately prepared. The government should take the blame since it has allowed the construction of several concrete blocks for people.
Long-term solution challenge: Suburban Chennai’s drainage issues need a long-term and well-thought-out solution. That will require funds that the state can’t afford.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever seen a meteor?
- I have seen a meteor.
- I haven’t seen a meteor.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which book do you think everyone should read at least once?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Revenue department officials chosen to inspect the proposed airport land site were denied entry by Nelvoy villagers.
- Land acquisition delays for the East Coast Road expansion from Thiruvanmiyur to Akkarai have increased costs three-fold.
- A 71 km section of the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway will be completed by this month.
- Public libraries will be transformed into co-working and learning spaces under the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam scheme.
- The Savera Hotel’s cake-mixing ceremony symbolises the holiday spirit of bringing people together.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I own a house: 58.3% 🏆
- I rent a house: 41.7%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
If you were to run your own startup, what would it be?
Suchi: “A friendship app to form new friends.”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!