Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 28 ℃ | Some cloud cover with high humidity.
🧐 Did you know? Presidency College is the oldest college in South India and the first government college established in Tamil Nadu.
🥽 Surgery using VR glasses
Surgeons at GEM Hospital used the Apple Vision Pro to perform laparoscopic surgeries.
What’s it about? Apple’s Vision Pro headset might seem like the next wave of entertainment devices. However, they’ve now been used in the medical field. At GEM Hospital, the device was used to perform nine laparoscopic surgeries.
- Surgical gastroenterologist Dr R Parthasarathy used the Vision Pro since he didn’t have to constantly look at a monitor during the surgery.
- It can help reduce their workload by Facetiming with experts and even teaching medicine. It especially comes in handy for long surgeries.
Just the beginning: The team at the hospital believes the device can be used to improve a surgeon’s efficiency. It’s now being used for spinal and eye surgeries.
🐕 Waste management to curb stray dogs?
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Residents want better waste management policies to help curb stray dog incidents.
What’s it about? Residents are increasingly concerned for their safety amidst rising incidents of stray dog attacks. It continues to be a menace even with the Chennai Corporation’s best efforts at vaccination and birth control programmes. Residents say better waste management holds the key to curbing the menace.
- In places like Murasoli Maran Park, people bring leftover meat from butchers to feed the dogs. Residents in North Chennai have repeatedly told meat shop owners to not feed stray dogs since they become aggressive if they aren’t fed.
- In several localities, garbage dumped on roadsides and inner roads becomes a haven for stray dogs. The existing waste management policies are inadequate since people aren’t fined or reprimanded.
Dog census: In places like Royapuram, the number of stray dogs has increased to over 3,000. The local body stopped the immunisation programme since there’s no credible data on the number of strays in each zone.
🏍️ Nets to beat the heat
The Chennai Corporation has begun installing green nets at traffic signals to provide motorists with cover from the heat.
What’s it about? Social media posts hailed these green nets installed at traffic signals in Puducherry. Now, the Chennai Corporation is doing the same here. Eight signals have been chosen for the pilot to help provide some shade for motorists.
- The sheets are 6 metres long and comply with the Indian Road Congress’s design standards of having at least 5-metre vertical clearance from the road.
- The first phase location includes Ripon Building Junction, Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue near Round Tana, New Avadi Road on 3rd Avenue towards Kilpauk, and four other spots on LB Road.
Long-term plans: Based on feedback, the design and structure will be modified with PVC sheets overhead. There are also plans to have a system where the 6 metres before a zebra crossing are reserved for two-wheelers who will benefit from the shade.
🚇 A proposed metro line scrapped
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has decided to scrap the proposed metro line from Siruseri to Kilambakkam.
What’s the story so far? A detailed feasibility report was conducted to see if the metro line could be extended from Siruseri to Kilambakkam as part of Corridor 3. The report was submitted to the government last September. It stated that the route wasn’t feasible.
- In the initial study, the Peak Hour Peak Direction (PHPD) traffic was lower than required. The ideal PHPD is 12,000 passengers per hour. The survey showed only 5,000.
- The reason for the poor PHPD is the locations covered have forest areas and industries. The government has decided to drop the proposal.
Proposal details: The extension was supposed to cover 23.5 km with 12 elevated stations at an approximate cost of ₹5,458.06 crore.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- A musical night awaits with Party With Staccato this Saturday.
- Catch CSK vs RR at the IPL Live Screening this Sunday.
- Follow the Sound by The Madras Commune presents Chennai’s first-ever moving concert this Saturday.
- For the budding artists, there’s a Canvas painting workshop this Sunday.
- Learn breathing and yoga at the Yogic Movement and Mobility Workshop this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have been to a spa: 28.6%
- I’ve never been to a spa: 71.4% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite type/flavour of doughnut?
Shiva: “Vanilla glaze”
Suchi: “Mango flavour”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!