Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Mostly cloudy for today.
🧐 Did you know? In 1901, Chennai was divided into 30 divisions with an area of 68 sq km. In 2011, the city expanded to 426 sq km and the Chennai Corporation now administrates 200 divisions.
🏨 50 years of a Chennai landmark
The Taj Coromandel celebrates its 50th anniversary of blending modernity and tradition.
How it all began: The hotel was built in 1974 and presented visitors with a mix of South Indian warmth and classical elegance to reflect the city’s deep-rooted heritage. The hotel takes its name from the Coromandel Tree or Kalpavriksha. Its culinary journey has evolved over the decades too with a multitude of cuisine offerings.
- Southern Spice is inspired by traditional roots and draws inspiration from veteran chefs. Golden Dragon on the other hand is a celebration of oriental culture and Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine.
- Since its opening, the hotel has undergone extensive renovations and expansions. The restaurants also underwent several changes.
Accolades galore: The hotel has won top honours at the 2023 IIHM-IHC London International Hospitality Day Awards, the 2023 and 2024 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, and Southern Spice was among the top 50 restaurants in India according to Conde Nast Traveller last year.
🛣️ No progress on road projects
Despite the government’s progress claims, several road projects across the city are stuck in limbo due to red tape.
What’s it about? Besides the Anna Salai elevated corridor, several other road extension and widening projects have missed their deadlines due to red tape. The state highways department has previously claimed that several projects were being done in record time.
- Some examples are the widening of the 22-km stretch between Padi and Thirunindravur, the 8.8-km rotary-shaped flyover on GST Road, scheduled to open in 2010, and the widening of roads on East Coast Road (ECR).
- The state highways data showed that nearly 21,000 accidents have occurred on state roads compared to 17,000 on NHAI roads last year. It’s due to lack of proper lighting, poorly paved roads, and lack of speed control measures.
Auditing bad roads: Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam is launching a campaign asking the public to report dangerous road conditions. The findings will be compiled into a report for the government to use to take action.
🏭 Notice to factories
The TNPCB issued notices to two factories in Sriperumbudur in the wake of an environmental pollution complaint.
What’s it about? Following a complaint from a Sriperumbudur resident on pollution of a local waterbody, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) issued notices to two factories in the area.
- The complaint was filed against Flexible Bags and Thirumalai Steels Private Ltd for letting darkly-coloured effluents into the nearby Periya Kulam.
- The TNPCB’s inspection of Flexible Bags found that the company was operating without approval from the pollution board. At Thirumalai Steels, there were issues with the septic tank that resulted in the stagnation of sewage.
Warnings issued: Flexible Bags was issued a show cause notice that warned of a penalty of up to six years imprisonment. Thirumalai Steels was asked to make necessary changes to dispose of the sewage and avoid discharging it outside the unit.
🦟 Controlling the mosquito menace
With election duties done, Chennai Mayor R Priya assessed the status of civic works with officials.
What’s it about? At a meeting with civic officials, the Mayor pulled up officials about drones procured for larvicide spraying being idle despite complaints from residents about mosquito menace. She questioned the mechanical department about the six drones bought by the Chennai Corporation.
- Officials said tenders were floated twice, but there were no takers for operating the drones. They were bought to spray larvicide in rivers and canals and were used to spray disinfectant during the pandemic.
- The city faces a higher risk of mosquito-borne diseases ahead of the monsoon. The Mayor questioned whether the stormwater drains were being fogged and asked officials to identify stagnant plots.
Tackling the complaints: The Chennai Corporation is getting about 100 complaints a day about the mosquito menace. It has deployed over 2,000 field workers and 900 supervisors for vector control.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever purchased something from a street vendor?
- I have purchased from a street vendor.
- I haven’t purchased from a street vendor.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What subject in school do you wish you were better at?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- White effluents were discharged into the Cooum continuing its state of neglect.
- SRM Institute of Technology announced strategic partnerships and agreements to mark World Intellectual Property Day.
- Subthiga Mathanamohan aims to continue telling stories about migration between India and Sri Lanka.
- The Brigade Group has plans to invest over ₹8,000 crore in Chennai.
- Confirmed ticket passengers were stranded at Chennai Central as ticketless passengers boarded a Howrah-bound train.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have played a prank on someone: 30.0%
- I haven’t played a prank on someone: 70.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Who’s someone you would swap a day in the life with?
Suchi: “Nobody”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!