Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: More of the same with cloudy skies and pleasant temperature.
🧐 Did you know? St Andrews Church in Egmore was reportedly the first British-built building in India with a terracotta wells foundation. With the Cooum flowing nearby, builders used a technique to push terracotta rings into the ground to form a rocky bed.
🚗 Noisy city
Chennai has the unfortunate moniker of being the noisiest metro due to car horns.
What’s it about? During peak traffic hours, the city witnesses car horns blaring over 1 crore times an hour. In some areas, noise levels are above 115 decibels. The recommended limit is 55-65. It’s no wonder that a recent government survey showed Chennai was the noisiest metro in India.
- The city’s average ambient noise level was 71 decibels. Bikers and car drivers honk at least 10 times every 5 km. Many in the city honk instead of braking, hoping that will create space and avoid collisions.
- For some motorists, due to stress, honking is a release, despite knowing that honking won’t change the traffic lights. The traffic police have conducted campaigns against excessive honking to no avail.
What’s being done? The answer is not much. The state government had a plan to create a noise map. It has yet to take off. It’s only the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) that has taken up this cause. Through its no-honking campaign, they book about 250 cases a month.
🚌 MTC survey
The MTC will conduct a survey to improve operations and set minimum standards of services.
What’s it about? The Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC) survey will take in commuters’ feedback to establish a baseline for service to be maintained by the MTC. The survey is part of the Chennai City Partnership, an initiative under the Chennai Sustainable Urban Services Program (C-SUSP).
- The survey will assess bus cleanliness, safety, comfort, punctuality, etc. It’ll be done at buses, bus stops along different routes and areas. It’ll have an equal representation of men and women, including seniors and persons with disabilities.
- The MTC will also assess people from different income groups. People will also be surveyed from the core city area and the outskirts.
C-SUSP details: This was launched to get a ₹2,400 crore loan from the World Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The loan is conditioned based on how urban agencies, including the MTC, can meet the needs of citizens.
🚇 Metro upgrades
Phase 1 of the metro will get new trains and station upgrades.
What’s it about? With a total cost of ₹2,800 crore, phase 1 of the metro will have 28 new six-coach trains and upgrades to stations to meet future demand. Additional trains with increased frequency will cater to increased passenger numbers in the future.
- A consultant studied the traffic volume at ten locations and traffic patterns of public and private transport. The study suggests the existing frequency for phase 2 won’t be enough to meet passenger demand.
- The study recommended using six-coach trains during peak hours and four-coach ones during non-peak hours. New stabilising lines to house the additional trains will need to be built.
Passenger numbers: According to the study, the Chennai Metro saw a 156% increase in passengers from January to December 2022. The total number of passengers increased from 25.2 lakh to over 64 lakh. Currently, the metro carries about 2.5 lakh passengers on weekdays.
🏳️🌈 Celebrating Pride with art
With June marked as Pride month, art is a unique way to celebrate the occasion.
What’s it about? With June marking Pride month to honour and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, there are shows and events to commemorate the festivities. For artist Padma Malini Soman, special postcards are a way to contribute.
- The pride cards will have illustrations of individuals depicting various gender identities using the pride flag as a colour palette for the background.
- She emphasises the importance of parental approval for those struggling with self-identification. One of the illustrations is a woman in a saree symbolising a mother.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Did your locality/street get flooded during the recent rainy spell?
- Yes, my locality/street got flooded during the recent rains.
- No, my locality/street didn’t get flooded during the recent rains.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s a simple way to help reduce one’s carbon footprint that you also practice?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Restoration of affected areas is a struggle as the Mayor and Commissioner are abroad.
- Vedanthangal bird sanctuary will soon open with new facilities and amenities.
- India vs Pakistan match of the hockey Asian Champions Trophy will take place in Chennai on August 9.
- Tambaram will get a new wider road overbridge to facilitate increased traffic.
- Chennai residents struggle with high electricity bills during the summer.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I watched a movie at the Prarthana drive-in theatre: 30.0%
- I haven’t watched a movie at the Prarthana drive-in theatre: 70.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite type of cake?
Shiva: “Plum with tutti fruity”
Chitra: “Butterscotch flavour cake”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!