Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny and clear skies.
🧐 Did you know? India’s first rail road was set up from Chintadripet to Little Mount in 1836. The three-mile line was called the Red-Hills Rail Road.
🚄 Faster trains
The Southern Railway will operate trains at an increased speed on the Chennai-Bengaluru and other routes.
What’s it about? The Southern Railways has decided to increase the speed of trains on several sections following an upgradation of tracks. For those travelling on the Chennai – Bangalore Shatabdi, their journey will be shorter thanks to the increased speed. The Chennai – Gudur section was the first authorised for increased speeds last October.
- In over 413 km of the southern railway network, the maximum speed has been increased to 130 kmph from 110. Among the sections are the Chennai – Renigunta and Arakkonam – Jolarpettai.
- In other important sections covering 1,218 km, the maximum permissible speed has been increased to 110 kmph, and for sections spanning 406 km, it has been increased to 100 kmph.
Vande Bharat: Meanwhile, the new Chennai – Coimbatore – Chennai Vande Bharat train will run at 130 kmph in the Chennai – Jolarpettai section. It reduces travel time by 80 minutes.
🛣️ Street vendors vs encroachments
The Chennai Corporation published a list of street vendors as encroachments remain an issue.
What’s it about? The Chennai Corporation released a list of over 35,000 street vendors as an official associated with the survey went from street to street to do a head count. It’s a constant and long-standing struggle between having pavements safe for pedestrians and the livelihoods of street vendors.
- In St Mary’s Road, for example, vendors have blocked the pavement, and cars are parked beside it. Pedestrians have no option but to walk on the road. At T Nagar’s pedestrian plaza, 20 shops have come up.
- Per the list published, Royapuram has the highest number of vendors, with over 7,800, followed by Kodambakkam with 5,704, and Teynampet with 4,309.
Legislation: The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, focuses on their livelihoods. It states they have to be renumerated every five years. Tamil Nadu has a scheme for street vendors, similar to the 2014 Act.
🐟 Kasimedu fish sales
Ahead of the fishing ban, the fishing harbour saw low sales.
What’s it about? There are a few days left before the proposed fishing ban comes into effect from April 15 to June 15. At the Kasimedu fishing harbour, fish prices increased, resulting in low sales. On average, over 1,000 tonnes of fish land at the harbour.
- Only a limited number of boats returned to shore with mostly small fish like vanjiram, sankara, and vaaval. An increase in diesel prices has kept fishermen away from deep-sea fishing.
- In Karnataka and Kerala, the state fisheries departments provide a diesel subsidy of 9,000 litres a month for 10 months. In Tamil Nadu, it’s only 1,800 litres a month.
Who said what? B Muthukumaran of the Deep Sea Fishing Boat Owners Association said not many boats have ventured out, and those who can afford to didn’t get a big catch. Some boat owners clean and service the boats during the ban, but most don’t have enough money.
🎮 Entertainment Zone at Phoenix Marketcity
The Live Entertainment Destination (LED) at the popular mall gears up for the summer.
What’s it about? The LED was launched in December last year and is a one-of-a-kind entertainment zone that brings together snowfall, VR, laser war, and arcade games under one roof. As the summer vacation begins, the place is full of families looking for a fun outing.
- There are massage chairs and swaying cartoon cars of Peppa Pig with Spider-man, Winnie the Pooh, and other popular characters. The VR zone has a 360-degree spinning chair and a group VR experience.
- It’s the first entertainment zone in South India to have laser war. Next to it is the jungle adventure. There are also novelty games offering expensive gifts like iPhones and headsets.
History and journey: LED was started by Kunal Khicha with his cousin Rahul and friend Ravi. The goal was to provide Chennai with a unique entertainment space. The next one will come up at Aerohub in May. They also hope to bring in other attractions to the Phoenix location.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you filed a complaint with a consumer watchdog?
- Yes, I have filed a complaint with a consumer watchdog.
- No, I haven’t filed a complaint with a consumer watchdog.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What movie do you never get bored of rewatching?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Amid last-mile connectivity demands, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) transferred small buses to districts.
- The University of Madras will install statues of freedom fighter Velu Nachiyar and poet Thiruvalluvar on two campuses.
- Adi Dravidar Welfare hostels across Chennai are forced to buy substandard groceries.
- Great Lakes Institute of Management launched ‘Encore’, offering job returnship programmes for women.
- The Third Master Plan will be released by MK Stalin by 2025.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I would prefer to travel by Vande Bharat Express: 75.0% 🏆
- I would prefer to travel by flight: 25.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite brand of chocolate?
Chitra: “Ferroro Rocher”
Vetha: “Toblerone”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!