Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Clear and sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Madras Bulwark served as an inspiration when the Great North Holland Canal was being contemplated in Europe in 1849. The Bulward was completed in 1820 and extended for two and a half miles from Fort to Black Town.
🐾 Registering exotic pets
Exotic pet owners in the city have only one day left to register their pets.
What’s it about? From April 1, the newly amended Wildlife Protection Act takes effect. It means owning exotic and non-native animals, birds, and reptiles will become a punishable offence. If people already own exotic pets, they can self-declare them to avoid penalties.
- A little over 1,200 people in Chennai have declared ownership of 10,000 exotic animals as of 2021. More are to be accounted for. Currently, an illegally imported animal can be sent back.
- For owners in Chennai, it’s a tense time since the Centre hasn’t yet released details on the consequences of self-declaration. Questions remain on whether they should inform officials about every birth and death.
Who said what? E Prasanth, Chennai’s wildlife warden, said the demand for exotic species is big, and the trade is unregulated. Most of them are brought to Chennai to be transported to Bengaluru. Srinivas Reddy, Tamil Nadu’s chief wildlife warden, said Chennai had become a hub for exotic species, smugglers, and breeders.
🚇 Exclusive employee access to Metro
Phase 2 of the Metro will help ease access to the nearest metro stations for IT employees.
What’s it about? Once phase 2 of the Metro commences operations, IT employees will be able to access the nearest metro stations through skywalks and foot overbridges. The goal is twofold; to make commutes easier and increase ridership and revenue. Offices may have to pay a special fee for executive access.
- The idea is similar to the Bengaluru Metro, which introduced a corporate package that includes direct access to stations from office campuses. The package is ₹10 crore for 30 years and includes prefixing the company’s name with a station’s.
- The reasons why some stations have low patronage are lack of easy access and last-mile connectivity. The hope is that after a long workday, people will choose the Metro instead of driving in heavy traffic.
🚻 Mobile public toilets
Architect and urban development practitioner Viswanathan Sridhar’s new creation is a mobile public toilet.
What’s it about? An experience with two of his female colleagues spurred Viswanathan to devise a solution for urban intervention and public convenience. It’s a one-of-a-kind toilet. It’s single-use, accessible, clean, and can be mounted on a cycle. He and his team want to create an ecosystem with systematic changes rather than immediate solutions.
- Top of the priority list for the project was gender and creating a toilet for everyone, including persons with disabilities. They used Kirigami (cutting and folding paper) for the prototype that could be mounted on any vehicle.
- There were two prototypes – one set up on a cycle and another mounted on a heavy vehicle. The project has received funding from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute for Innovation, Tamil Nadu, and support from the University of Waterloo, and SPI Edge, among others.
Journey and future: Viswanathan’s experience with the Urban Fellowship Programme at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, Bengaluru, and policymaking at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board has served him well. He and his team have different approaches to implementing this in rural and urban areas. The goal is to reduce urban open defecation and urination.
💃 Tamil Nights at nightclubs
Dedicated Tamil Nights at some premium nightclubs have become a popular trend.
What’s it about? What was once deemed impossible is now a trend in popular premium nightclubs in the city as people sing along and dance to popular Tamil and regional tunes. Some bars and nightclubs in the city have decided to have Tamil Nights, with some encouraging patrons to dress local and stay comfortable, with some women DJs wearing saris.
- With Tamil Nights, the guest list has expanded beyond youngsters to those who are slightly older. For some places like Pasha at The Park and Black and White at the Residency, they’ve been playing Tamil songs for more than a decade.
- The decision to host Tamil Nights has paid dividends with increased footfalls. What also attracts people is the introduction of regional cuisine and drinks in keeping with the theme.
Who said what? Sinbad, the GM of Kommune Bar and Kitchen, said previously they refused to play Tamil Songs when requested by customers but decided to change that policy a couple of years ago. Hari Chandran, MD of Off The Record, said there was previously an unwritten rule about not playing Tamil songs which has now changed. DJ Deepika Naveen said people loved it the first time she wore a sari to play Tamil Songs.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- KI5S from Poochu’s Productions presents 10 short plays in English and Tamil this weekend.
- Sandaru Sathsara, Sri Lankan music producer and YouTuber, presents It’s My Life, a live concert this Saturday.
- The Havoc Brothers are coming to Chennai for a live music event this Saturday.
- Pavadai from writer & director Gabrial Gladson, featuring Arun Gokul and Nivedha Nithyanandham, is a storytelling show this Sunday.
- Festive Edit from Glitterari Popup will showcase food, fashion, and art this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have flown business/first class on a flight: 12.5%
- I haven’t flown business/first class on a flight: 87.5% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!