Good morning, Chennai!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 27 ℃ | Low: 23 ℃ | Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain.
🧐 Did you know? The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) was the result of an Indo-Swiss collaboration – between the Government of India and the Swiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Corporation Ltd.
🎶 Experience music in the dark
Anil Srinivasan’s Concert in the Dark series returns for its seventh edition.
What’s it about? For pianist Anil Srinivasan, music consumes you if you close your eyes and listen to it. In a dark room with strangers, music becomes a safe space. His Concert in the Dark series returns for its seventh edition on December 22, with proceeds going to the Gnanadarshan Seva Home for Visually Disabled Women.
- The concert is something different from the ongoing offerings during the Margazhi season. It’s based on the trust between musicians.
- The team consists of Anil, Naveen Napier on bass guitar, and Krishna Kishor on percussion. It will also feature the music group Kiran + Nivi with an opening act by 16-year-old Anandita Arun.
History: The concept started in 2018 to support charities for the visually impaired. Anil was inspired after visiting the Gnanadarshan Seva Home for Visually Disabled Women.
🔥 Incinerator project opposition
Several organisations and residents have urged the civic body to cancel plans for waste-energy incinerators at the Kodungaiyur dump yard.
What’s it about? The Chennai Corporation has submitted plans to set up waste-energy incinerators at the dump yard to burn 2,100 tons of mixed solid waste and help generate power. 20 organisations, including the Chennai Climate Action Group, Exnora, Poovulagin Nanbargal, and residents have asked the civic body to cancel the project.
- The project would burn waste and produce toxic ash that’s harmful to people, especially those with respiratory issues. Activists are also concerned that waste collectors would lose access to materials like paper, cardboard, and glass materials.
- Residents near the dump yard have said they’re living in an unhygienic environment due to the piled-up waste for over 30 years. An incinerator would worsen the situation.
Shortcomings: The 2019 Solid Waste Management bylaws stipulate source segregation and decentralised waste management. However, the Chennai Corporation hasn’t followed this and instead opted for waste-to-energy plants.
🚆 Perambur railway terminal concerns
The Southern Railway’s plan for a greenfield terminal at Perambur has disappointed passengers.
What’s it about? The new terminal at Tambaram continues to be delayed, while the Southern Railway has planned for a greenfield terminal at Perambur, near the Perambur Loco Works station, about 7 km from Chennai Central Station. Passengers are unhappy with the plan, calling it irrational and poorly planned.
- The terminal was proposed at Perambur due to operational and land acquisition issues at Royapuram and Salt Cotaurs. An earlier proposal stated that 35-40% of trains from Chennai Central, including Shatabdi and Vande Bharat, would be shifted to the new terminal.
- This plan would disrupt suburban train services since they would have to stop between Perambur and Villivakkam to allow express trains access to the fast lines. The railways will have to interchange the slow and fast lines, and amenities will need to be shifted to new platforms.
Risks: A 2016 report by the Commissioner of Railway Safety investigated a collision at Pattabiram which involved an EMU train and an express locomotive. It recommended against frequent shifts between fast and slow lines to reduce accidents.
🥵 Nights are hotter
Chennai’s nighttime temperatures have increased over the past two decades.
What’s it about? The average nighttime land surface temperatures (LST) have increased by 1.5 degrees Celsius over the past two decades. It was 23 degrees in 2001-03 and is now 24.5 for 2021-23.
- The increase is attributed to rapid urbanisation and the spread of concrete-covered areas. According to the 2024 Urban Heat Island—Hotspot Analysis and Mitigation Strategies, Chennai is one of the hottest districts in the state.
- During the day, land absorbs sunlight and heats up, releasing hot air. In densely built areas, the air temperature rises. At night, the stored heat is slowly emitted, preventing the air from cooling down.
Urbanisation trends: Between 1991 and 2016, Chennai’s concrete areas grew by 70%, now covering about 88% of the city’s land. Waterbodies, vegetation cover, and wetlands have shrunk.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you think remote work is more productive than office work?
- I think remote work is more productive than office work.
- I don’t think remote work is more productive than office work.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
How many times a week do you use quick commerce apps like Zepto or Instamart?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Despite no rain on Tuesday as forecasted, the IMD has retained its orange alert for Chennai.
- A climate literacy textbook curated by the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) was released at the Climate Literacy Conference.
- Common Nouns brings together 15 digital artworks to focus on culture, identity, and tradition.
- Increased personal vehicle usage in the city has led to traffic and parking woes.
- Here are 7 residential locations in the city that’s home to 16 billionaires.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I would live in the upper floors of a skyscraper: 14.3%
- I wouldn’t live in the upper floors of a skyscraper: 85.7% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which new subject do you think should be taught in schools?
Chandru: “Finance”
Suchi: “Mindfulness”
Rangarajan: “Survival skills”
Kavi: “First Aid”
Dinesh: “Personal Finance”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!