Good morning, Chennai!
🌥️ Today’s weather: High: 35 ℃ | Low: 27 ℃ | A little cloudy weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Madras Club, founded in 1832, is the second oldest surviving club in India after the Bengal Club, Calcutta.
🏃 Go for a run!
Nevan John Benny is looking to change the city’s fitness landscape with the simple act of running.
What’s it about? To break away from the conventions of fitness with exercise routines and gym memberships, Nevan began the “Sexy Pace” running club. The goal is to encourage the city’s youngsters to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
- The inspiration came from a Texas influencer on Instagram who had a running club. But the one in Chennai comes with a twist. Nevan designs obstacle courses with activities like jumping jacks and sit-ups.
- In the beginning, only a few people joined. Over time, more came in, which encouraged Nevan to continue his endeavour. The club gathers every Saturday at 6.30 am at different locations.
Fitness journey for beginners: The club is inclusive and helps new runners begin their fitness journey and push their limits. Running as a group makes it more fun and sustainable in the long run.
🎭 Into the world of theatre
Artist.chennai will present Prelude, an event with industry experts and workshops on everything theatre.
What’s it about? Chennai is home to a vibrant theatre scene. While there are plenty of open mics across the city, they focus on music and comedy. Theatre can sometimes be an imposing art form and artist.chennai wants to help those interested in entering the arena.
- In March, to mark World Theatre Day, the group invited writers with scripts and conducted beginner-friendly acting workshops from AK Maikayil. The selected individuals will now showcase their work at Prelude.
- The event will have workshops, auditions, and mentoring sessions by theatre experts. There’ll also be anthology plays directed by veterans like Bhavya Balantrapu, Suhas Vaidya, and Prasanth Oliver.
Giving back to inspire: A percentage of the proceeds from Prelude will be given to a local charity. The group wants to give back to the community since art is for the community, not just individuals. They hope initiatives like this will inspire young people to pursue their artistic aspirations.
🍌 Ideas to handle banana waste
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The CMDA is looking for ideas to handle banana waste generated at the Koyambedu market.
What’s it about? There has been an increase in fruit waste accumulation at the Koyambedu market with its 400-odd fruit shops. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is looking for ideas on how to handle the over 70 tonnes of waste from banana shops.
- An initial plan involved a pyrolysis plant suggested by IIT Madras. However, the CMDA is open to other options to process banana waste.
- The CMDA has invited expressions of interest from NGOs, residents, and experts to put forward solutions. Once a method has been finalised, it’ll be implemented on a revenue-sharing model.
Waste generation: The Koyambedu market has nearly 4,000 shops that sell fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers. The market handles 6,000 tonnes of fresh produce every day. As a result, it generates 200 tonnes of fruit waste as vendors often discard rotten fruit. Over 70 tonnes are from banana shops alone.
🚆 Train cancellations to affect passengers
The Southern Railway’s cancellations of trains on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram line will affect lakhs of passengers.
What’s it about? The Chennai division of the Southern Railway announced the cancellation of about 55 trains on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram line. It’s expected to affect the daily commute of lakhs of passengers in the city since this stretch has the highest patronage.
- The cancellation was announced to facilitate the railways to re-model the lines to and from a major station. This will increase the receiving speed of trains and the number of platforms to operate more express and suburban trains.
- Regular commuters will now be forced to take alternatives like the bus or metro, which are either time-consuming or more expensive. An official from the Chennai Division has written to the government to operate more buses on the affected routes.
Yard re-modelling: The length of the lines at the station will be increased to accommodate 24-coach express trains and 12-car Electric Multiple Units (EMUs). The current receiving speed of 15 kmph will also be increased as signal poles will be shifted.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- A concert for impact is happening with renowned Gospel artists performing at Avarae 2.0 this Sunday.
- Catch Sid Sriram live at the Nee Singham Dhan concert this Saturday.
- Help solve a mystery at the unique social gathering of Mystery at Kundanbagh this Sunday.
- Theatre lovers can witness a five-play anthology at Prelude-An Anthology, this Saturday.
- Witness Odisha’s handloom traditions at The Vriksh Popup this weekend.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have made a purchase based on a social media ad: 62.5% 🏆
- I haven’t made a purchase based on a social media ad: 37.5%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
If you could live in any fictional world for a year, which one would you choose?
Shiva: “Sophie’s World, it will let me jump into more written fiction.”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!