Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 24 ℃ | More sunny weather for today.
🧐 Did you know? Santhome was once a hub for the slave trade. The Portuguese sent labourers from here to places like the Philippines.
♿ Making voting accessible
At a rally with the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), the Chennai Corporation announced 21 ambassadors to help promote accessible voting.
What’s it about? The 21 ambassadors or icons represent 21 disabilities, including blindness, low vision, those on the autism spectrum, and hearing impairment. They’ll work with the Chennai Corporation to ensure voting is accessible to all.
- Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan said the Corporation is working to make over 3,700 voting booths accessible and disabled-friendly.
- DRA members met with election officials over a week ago with suggestions. These included wheelchair stations with signages, ramps at polling stations, and sign language interpreters.
Getting things ready: The Corporation held a training session for the over 19,000 staff on the workings of the electronic voting machines and how voters can verify their votes.
🚇 Solar power at metro stations
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will install solar plants in 12 elevated phase 1 and extension stations and parking lots.
What’s it about? The CMRL hopes that these new installations, along with existing ones, will help it save over 17,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The new solar plants could help save ₹4.94 crore per year on energy costs.
- The new stations include Wimco Nagar, Mannadi, High Court, Saidapet, Egmore, and Anna Nagar East. The total capacity is expected to be 2,715 kilowatts.
- At Saidapet, the installation will be on the ground, while it’ll be on the roofs of other stations and parking lots.
Progress: Last September, the CMRL invited tenders to install a 3MW solar plant on elevated structures of stations and parking lots. Apart from this, the CMRL has already awarded a tender for a 4.2 MW installation.
🛋️ MillerKnoll comes to Chennai
The US-based furniture company opened its first showroom in the city.
What’s it about? MillerKnoll has opened its first showroom in Chennai through its authorised dealer Buildcraft Interior. It’s the company’s sixth showroom in India.
- The new outlet will house the company’s brands like Herman Miller, Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Knoll, and Design Within Reach.
- The company designed the showroom to be an immersive experience to showcase its products. The price range of the furniture on sale ranges from ₹60,000 to ₹2.5 lakh.
Expansion plans: The opening of the Chennai showroom is a milestone for the company. It plans to open new showrooms in other key cities across India.
🏠 Senior citizens choose community living
Many senior citizens in the city prefer living in community homes rather than independent houses.
What’s it about? Property consultants say senior citizens are trading in their independent houses and flats to stay in community homes in the suburbs and outskirts of the core parts of the city.
- The main reasons are an inability to maintain independent homes and a preference to stay among people in their age groups. For those who don’t have kids, it’s also easier to live in a community facility.
- With increasing medical needs, senior citizens need to keep a relatively active lifestyle and curtail loneliness. Houses along the East Coast Road (ECR) and GST Road offer the perfect mix of tranquillity and connectivity.
What are the options? Senior living homes in apartment complexes come in studio, single, and double-bedroom options. They’re priced between ₹25 and ₹75 lakh in general and can go up to ₹3 crore in the luxury segment.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you experienced a solar eclipse?
- I have experienced a solar eclipse.
- I haven’t experienced a solar eclipse.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
How do you like to keep cool in the summer?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- RGH and the Institute of Child Health will get new blocks to strengthen paediatric and emergency care.
- Over 5.8 lakh people visited Island Grounds for the latest edition of the India Tourism and Industrial Trade Fair.
- The new flyover at T Nagar between South Usman Road and CIT Nagar will be completed by December.
- A unique poster at a juice shop in Poonamallee caught people’s attention which celebrated a unique achievement.
- Poondi reservoir’s shutters will be repaired once it reaches its dead storage level.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have a sweet tooth: 50.0% 🏆
- I don’t have a sweet tooth: 50.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What talent/skill would you like to master?
Suchi: “To play the veena”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!