Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny weather ahead, so stay hydrated.
🧐 Did you know? The first mosque in the city is believed to have been built by a Hindu merchant named Kasi Viranna on Moor Street in the 17th century.
🚴 Pavements and cycling tracks on ECR
There’ll soon be pavements and cycling tracks along the 5-km stretch between Neelankarai and Akkarai.
What’s it about? For a while now, residents along East Coast Road (ECR) have been demanding pavements, and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has obliged. CMDA Minister PK Sekar Babu announced laying the pavement and the cycle track for ₹20 crore.
- Several cyclists use this scenic route quite regularly. Residents also want officials to ensure encroachers are kept at bay as vendors and fast-food joints occupy the pavements once they’re laid.
Who said what? T Divagaran, co-founder of the “We are Chennai Cycling Group” (WCCG), said the stretch is closed to traffic on weekends to benefit leisure cyclists, but this isn’t feasible in the long run. He said the dedicated cycling track would be useful for the regulars. S Gomathi Nayagam of the Federation of Residents Welfare Associations of Neelankarai said the pavement would be good for senior citizens.
✈️ Air traffic in Chennai bounces back
Domestic air traffic to and from Chennai has returned to pre-Covid levels.
What’s it about? According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), domestic passenger traffic last month increased compared to April 2019. International numbers are close to 2019 levels showing high fares haven’t prevented people from flying abroad.
- Last month, Chennai airport handled 12.89 lakh domestic passengers, 40,000 more than the same period in 2019. The AAI said over 17 lakh passengers travelled through the international airport last month.
- With high passenger numbers comes crowding at security checks at peak hours. However, some fine-tuning has eased congestion. The airport plays a vital role, with Chennai being a strategic location for tourism and trade in South India.
What’s ahead? As the summer holidays begin and the new terminal opens, passenger numbers are expected to increase. Due to a cut in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, airfares have fallen from their December peak. The recent rise in Covid cases is of some concern. As of now, there are no restrictions.
🎭 Idol theft cases as a play
With music and a Siva Tandavam, the play will take inspiration from idol theft cases, including the Sivapuram Nataraja.
What’s it about? SRS Raman, following in his father S Balachander’s footsteps, is directing plays, not movies. His latest is Kumin Chirippu (Siva’s Smile). It’ll be staged on May 6 at the Narada Gana Sabha with actor Sivakumar as chief guest.
- The script is fiction, but the playwright Sujatha Vijayaraghavan took inspiration from several idol theft cases. For Raman, the news of several such cases gave him the idea that this could be done as a play.
- The goal is to educate, involve, and evoke reflection apart from entertaining. The cast comprises regulars who often support other theatre groups. Similarly, Raman’s troop often looks for outside talent when the need arises.
Past work: Raman’s first play was Andha Naal, based on the movie of the same name made by his father, which starred Sivaji Ganesan. Then came Bharathi Yaar?, which is still touring, telling the life story of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi.
🎓 EducationPlus Career Fair begins
The 2023 edition of the fair began with students speaking with education representatives.
What’s it about? The 20th edition of the Career Fair was inaugurated at the Chennai Trade Centre’s Convention Hall with an address by IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti. He provided insights to the students and parents present about the courses IIT Madras offers.
- Students and parents visited the fair and attended sessions by experts. Among them was a session on engineering and medical courses by media personality Ramesh Prabha.
- Educational and financial institutions set up stalls for students and parents to speak to their representatives. Among the speakers were former cricketer and founder director of IISM, Nilesh Kulkarni, and writer and director Sudhish Kamath.
Who said what? Kamakoti said biology would become one of the most important disciplines. He also spoke of IIT Madras’ plan to introduce a Bachelor of Science course in Medical Sciences and Engineering.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you go into the water when you’re on a beach?
- Yes, I go into the water when I’m on a beach.
- No, I don’t go into the water when I’m on a beach.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s one song you would listen to for the rest of your life?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Take a journey through some of Chennai’s oldest mosques.
- Chennai Metro rejected the BJP’s allegations of kickbacks in the Alstom train deal.
- Beach sports in the city could use a boost with the Tamil Nadu Sports Policy.
- Colleges in Chennai, after a pause due to the pandemic, have resumed farewells at campuses.
- Chennai Metro will no longer go ahead with a leasing plan for some of the trains for phase 2.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!