Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: Some cloud cover but mostly clear
🧐 Did you know? Alwarpet was once home to a vast court complex for almost 60 years. The Mayor’s court was the first under the British. The Sudder and Foujdary Adawluts were set up in 1802 at the western end of Luz Church Road, present-day Alwarpet.
🥛 Aavin supply affected
The retail of aavin milk in the city and suburbs has been affected by poor supply.
What’s happening? Residents in the north, east, and suburbs have experienced delays in the delivery of their Aavin milk. There has been a deficit of 9-10 lakh litres in daily procurement. The dairies in Sholinganallur, Madhavaram, and Ambattur have been getting raw milk late from the districts. Officials denied reports of strikes or protests by contract workers.
- Due to the shortages, Aavin decided to source milk from faraway districts, leading to delays. The district milk unions in the north used to have reserves of 50,000-85,000 litres.
- The district cooperative milk producers’ unions in Vellore, Salem, and the surrounding areas are facing a shortage. Chennai gets 13 lakh litres of Aavin milk daily from these places.
Effects: In places like Velachery and Thiruvanmiyur, residents could get milk only after 8 am. In some places, it was only after 10 am. Due to the delays, contract workers in the different shifts couldn’t get work for 2-3 hours the past few days.
🏞️ What happened to the Peerkankaranai eco-park?
The plan to beautify and develop the Peerkankaranai lake has gone nowhere.
What’s it about? The plan to develop the Peerkankaranai lake as a recreational space with boating and other amenities hasn’t seen the light of day. Four years since it was proposed, the work is only half-done with no end in sight. The plan was for a play area for kids, walkways, and an Aavin parlour.
- Water hyacinths have taken over most of the lake’s surface. The water is polluted by sewage. More than a lakh people reside in Peerkankaranai, and that number is rising.
- The government allocated ₹10 crore for the project when work began in October 2018. Officials proposed removing 628 buildings built on encroached land.
Residents speak: Janani Kannan from Peerkankaranai said residents were hopeful for a beautiful park similar to the one in Chetpet. Now, they at least want officials to clean the lake so residents can get good water. Another resident John said they were promised the lake would look brand new within a year.
😰 Uncomfortable conditions at Metro stations
Passengers are unhappy with how stuffy the underground stations are.
What’s it about? Passengers have repeatedly complained about how stuffy and humid the underground metro stations are. With the air conditioners not operating at full capacity, their only option is to stand under noisy wall-mounted fans.
- Last March, passengers made similar complaints about poor cooling in underground stations. During non-peak hours, the AC units are switched off to save costs.
- In 2019, the Metro decided to turn off the AC during peak summer as Chennai faced a water crisis. Metro officials claim the AC temperatures are at 24-25 degree celsius on the platforms.
Who said what? One passenger who takes the train from Tondiarpet to his office in Saidapet said it gets hot and stuffy in the afternoon in the underground station and urged the Metro to use the ACs. A spokesperson for the Metro said the AC systems adjust their temperatures automatically.
🤸 Practising calisthenics
Calisthenics, a new street workout routine, is gaining popularity in the city.
What’s it about? At Natesan Park in T Nagar, people pause and see a group of women practising handstands and swinging from bars as part of some type of acrobatic routine. It’s calisthenics, a new street workout and form of strength training. A small group of housewives, students, and working professionals have taken to it.
- The routine involves using bodyweight for strength-building exercises and bars for static holds. People also do dynamic and freestyle movements like swings and flips.
- It helps improve mobility and keep people fit. The group practices calisthenics at the Chetpet Eco Park also.
Who said what? Fitness trainer Hanny Mardia said she found Chennai calisthenics a little intimidating at first but has gotten used to the exercises. Martial arts and calisthenics teacher Mohammed Raffiq said Chennai needs more coaches and a big calisthenics community.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever worked a night shift?
- Yes, I have worked a night shift.
- No, I haven’t worked a night shift.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who’s a friend you’ve known the longest?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Chennai Corporation will build a straight road from East to West Velachery.
- The Chief Secretary inspected whether the planned road work across the city was being done properly.
- PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly built integrated terminal at the airport on March 27.
- The CMDA has formed teams to help implement beautification projects across Chennai.
- Dr S Janakarajan’s call for Chennai to have an integrated water management system to prevent floods.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I wake up later than usual on weekends and holidays: 62.5% 🏆
- I don’t wake up later than usual on weekends and holidays: 37.5%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite animated movie?
Chitra: “Lion King”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!