Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 35 ℃ | Low: 24 ℃ | Clear and sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The first passenger terminal of the Chennai Airport was completed in 1954. The airport was previously mostly used for military operations.
🏠 The Thamizh Futurism movement
Architectural engineer Adhavan Sundaramurthy showcases the Thamizh Futurism movement with his latest studio.
What’s it about? His latest project as part of the Thamizh Futurism movement is the Thamizhi House. Its interior designs are inspired by Tamil culture with timeless philosophies and contemporary aesthetics. It’s a homage to Tamil heritage.
- Thamizh Futurism tries to reclaim the past by critically examining ancient history, lifestyles, and literature of the Tamil language. It aims to envision a Tamil future through art and architecture.
- The Thamizhi Houses’ design influences are a harmony between humans and objects. Every piece of furniture has an intrinsic value and purpose.
Journey: Adhavan moved to the US for his higher studies and was surprised by the lack of awareness of Tamil Nadu and its culture and heritage. He was introduced to the concept of futurism in his graduate studies. Thamizh Futurism was part of his college thesis.
🏢 Keeping it cool
The upcoming Fintech City could be the first building in the state to have a District Cooling System (DCS).
What’s it about? The new complex is coming up in Nandambakkam and is said to have the state’s first District Cooling System (DCS). It’s a centralised system where the entire building is cooled through pipelines.
- The idea was mooted by Industries Minister TRB Rajaa following the success of its implementation at Gujarat’s GIFT City. The state announced plans to test the DCS at the Fintech City.
- The DCS has a centralised chilling plant that produces chilled water. This is transferred to various buildings or facilities through an underground network of insulated pipes. A control system will regulate the temperature.
It’s necessary: Power consumption inevitably rises during the summer and forces the state to look for alternate cooling solutions. Chennai consumes almost 13,000 GW of power per hour. The DCS could help save 40-50% given the increasing air conditioning load.
📚 Anna Library begins lending books
The Anna Centenary Library began its book lending programme.
What’s it about? 14 years after its inception, the library began lending books. The programme was launched by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. The library has over six lakh books in its collection and has segregated 1.5 lakh books for lending.
- The books have been separated into different sections like Tamil, children’s, and English. Each floor of the library will have a separate section for lending. It’s expected to begin a membership drive among young readers.
- Members will have access to databases that contain old editions of The New York Times, e-books, and journals. The library also plans to partner with colleges to provide access to students.
Membership details: The deposit for individual and family memberships is ₹250 and ₹500, respectively. For senior citizens and students, it’s ₹100 and ₹150, respectively. The subscription fee for a family membership is ₹200, and for individuals is ₹100. The fees for seniors and students are ₹50 and ₹75, respectively.
🌊 Causes of floods after Cyclone Michaung
Disappearing lakes and depleted channels led to the floods in Cyclone Michaung’s aftermath.
What’s it about? Survey maps showed that many of the city’s lakes and water bodies have depleted or shrunk over the past several decades. Encroachments and obstructions at channels restricted the natural flow of water, which made things worse.
- One example is the Ullagaram Lake, which spread across 59 acres a century ago. It has vanished and been replaced by a dense residential area.
- The Adambakkam Lake has shrunk by 92%, and the Velachery Lake is now only 55 acres. It led to floods at Saraswati Nagar and AGS Colony since the Velachery Lake surplus channel isn’t fully built into the Velachery-Tambaram Main Road.
How did it happen? The confluence of two channels leads to the reverse flow when water flows at full speed. When a lake shrinks, its storage decreases and leads to a heavy run-off.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Would you rather travel back in time or forward to the future?
- I would travel back in time.
- I would travel to the future.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which fiction novel would you want to be adapted as a movie or TV show?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- A web application was launched by Anna University to help restore the state’s forest cover.
- CREDAI’s Fairpro exhibition saw a significant number of women registering to buy homes.
- The Kalaignar Centenary Hospital at Guindy ails from a lack of last-mile connectivity options.
- Kilambakkam railway station to connect the bus terminus to the city will be ready by December.
- New apartment registrations have decreased in the city as the new system has increased registration charges.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I’d take photos of people: 12.5%
- I’d take photos of landscapes: 87.5% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What fictional place from a movie or book would you love to visit?
Lavanya: “Dune desert”
Suchi: “Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!