Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Hot and sunny weather for today.
🧐 Did you know? The earliest known bridge in the city was built over a drainage channel west of Black Town in 1677. It was called The New Bridge.
🗣️ Hearing people’s demands
As election campaigning peaks, the city’s candidates have been flooded with long-pending demands from citizens.
What’s it about? Part of campaigning is meeting, talking to people, and understanding their concerns. The city’s candidates, throughout their campaigns, have received petitions and requests from residents for infrastructure and civic amenities.
- The Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) met with South Chennai candidates from the DMK, AIADMK, BJP, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), where representatives from 100 welfare associations participated.
- Among their demands were better water supply and sewage connections, accelerating the metro work, last-mile connectivity from Alandur and Nanganallur metro stations, and restoration of the Velachery Lake.
Politicians’ response: AIADMK’s J Jayavardhan blamed the incumbent MP for the delays. BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan said she has been noting down the issues while campaigning and promised to bring to the fore issues like traffic congestion and underground sewage.
🚆 Passengers’ requests
Rail passenger associations in the Chennai division have asked political parties to heed their demands.
What’s it about? For several rail passenger associations of the Southern Railway, their demands for basic services and amenities have fallen on deaf ears. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, they want political parties to heed their requests.
- Tiruvallur residents have been asking for stoppage of trains for 30 years. With over 37 lakh residents, it’s also an industrial area and pilgrimage site.
- Regular commuters have also been affected due to fare hikes. Many stations lack basic amenities like accessible clean toilets. Many trains also don’t have separate compartments for women.
Train timings: Train timings are another issue since they aren’t followed regularly, which affects students and office-goers. Officials dismissed this saying passengers are informed in advance in case of delays due to repair or maintenance work.
🚌 Using funds for bus shelters
The three incumbent MPs from Chennai have used all of their area development scheme funds focussed on bus shelters.
What’s it about? The three MPs, Kalanidhi Veerasamy, Dayanidhi Maran, and Thamizhachi Thangapandian, have used almost 100% of the funds under the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Most of the money went to building bus shelters. They were a favourite since they gave the MPs visibility and garnered public goodwill.
- Between 2019 and 2024, of the 137 projects implemented under MPLADS, 35 were bus shelters. Of the 61 projects commissioned by Veerasamy, 24 were bus shelters.
- In Central Chennai, Maran took up 21 works, and 7 were initiated in the past four months. Among the largest was a bus shelter on Kamarajar Salai near the Anna Square bus stand. In Chennai South, Thamizhachi took up 10 bus shelters.
Other projects: The Muthamizharignar Kalaignar Centenary Bus Station was built as part of the Kalaignar centenary celebrations. Maran also took the building of a community centre on Vellar Street for ₹2.5 crore. Thamizhachi Thangapandian helped build a community hall on CP Ramasamy Road.
🚇 Tunnelling below and trains above
Trains are being slowed as tunnelling for the metro’s phase 2 has reached the Chetpet railway station.
What’s it about? The construction of tunnels between the Chetpet and Kilpauk metro stations under the Chetpet Lake has reached the Chetpet suburban station. With the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) underneath, the trains above are being slowed as a precaution.
- The express trains have been slowed to 35-40 kmph as they enter the station area. Trains that stopped only at Egmore usually run between 80 and 100 kmph.
- Metro officials have installed markers and other equipment to constantly monitor soil settlement and cracks that could affect the tracks and station.
What’s next? Once the TBM crosses the railway tracks, it will reach Chetpet Lake in less than 2 months before reaching Poonamallee High Road. Here, the tunnel will be 30 metres below the existing phase 1 tunnels.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you use public or private transport when visiting another city?
- I use public transport when visiting another city.
- I use private transport when visiting another city.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s a good habit you would like to have?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Kasimedu Fishing Harbour modernisation project is expected to begin soon as state officials recommended clearance.
- The Madras Sanskrit College will offer Sanskrit courses on AI, robotics, and drone technology.
- IIT Madras has launched a global water challenge for school kids called “Stockholm Junior Water Prize”.
- A quiz competition for college students was organised by the Election Commission of India as part of its voter outreach initiative.
- Saidapet railway subway has become inaccessible to commuters due to wet floors and dirty walls.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!