Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The MRF Pace Foundation, established in 1987, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering academies to nurture fast bowlers in the world. Among those who trained here were Javagal Srinath, Irfan Pathan, and Venkatesh Prasad.
🐕 Spike in canine parvovirus
The canine parvovirus, a viral infection in dogs, has been spreading in the city recently.
What’s it about? In the last week of June, the city corporation’s pet clinics recorded four to five cases of the viral infection daily. Last year, there were only one or two cases.
- The virus travels from one dog to another through sniffing and faecal matter. It’s contagious and can affect the heart cells in puppies less than six weeks old.
- Owners are advised to get their dogs vaccinated on the 6th, 9th, 12th, and 16th week. Post this schedule, it’s recommended to be administered once a year.
Challenges: A seven-in-one anti-virus vaccine costs ₹750 in private clinics. The Corporation only conducts rabies vaccine drives but not for any other infection.
📈 Price hike at restaurants?
The rise in prices of vegetables and essential items could prompt restaurants to hike their prices.
What’s it about? As the price of groceries increases, some restaurants are taking a wait-and-watch approach to see if they need to hike prices as well. Some small eateries have resorted to a marginal temporary hike.
- Big hotels are still holding out. M Ravi of the Chennai Hotel Owners Association said most will wait a week to see if they need to revise rates.
- Some small eateries have reduced their usage of vegetables like tomatoes, beans, and carrots. However, this seems unsustainable even if customers feel eating out is cheaper than cooking at home.
What’s being done? Traders have asked the government to regulate prices to prevent a further increase. Some eateries might partner with farmers directly to bypass middlemen since the government has yet to control the black market.
👩💻 New STEM Lab
Madras Christian College school alumni help establish a STEM lab on campus.
What’s it about? The 1973 batch of Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School wanted to help students thrive in science and technology. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) lab will help students realise their potential in these fields.
- The lab was funded through a charitable trust formed by eight students from the 1973 batch.
- The ₹10 lakh lab will help students from classes 6 to 12 learn about robotics, drones, 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital sciences. It can accommodate 25 students.
Necessity: The New Education Policy (NEP) from the Centre outlines the need for out-of-the-box thinking and learning. STEM is gaining popularity, and the lab will help students get hands-on experience which will help them in future employment opportunities.
👩💻 Getting the lowdown on Web3
The first Web3 event in the city dealt with how new-age technology will impact entertainment.
What’s it about? Nammaweb3 was organised by the Namma Tribe and Colours of India to better understand how this new technology will impact artists. Taking a cue from NFT Kochi, Namma Tribe co-founder Charan wanted to bring this discussion to Chennai.
- Guests heard from artists like Deepakshi Agarwal and her experiences in traditional and digital art and Varun Desai from Tezos. The discussions centred around topics like ownership, artistic freedom, and NFTs.
- The event also had a quiz where attendees learned about some of the basics of Web3 like crypto, node, cold storage, etc. It also had interactive games, an NFT gallery, and live music.
What’s the future? NFT artist and caricaturist Prasad Bhat said there was no need to be scared of people who know AI. Given the increased prominence of AI worldwide, Web3 looks to be where the art world is now focussed on, according to Varun.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you been involved in a road accident?
- I have been involved in a road accident.
- I haven’t been involved in a road accident.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What smart city initiative does the city need the most?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Government Girls school in East Tambaram has been affected by inadequate development and infrastructure.
- The forecast for the city over the next few days is for rain in the evenings.
- The pace of SWD work before the northeast monsoon worries residents.
- Vastra Utsav on July 21 and 22 will feature handloom and handicraft exhibitors from across India.
- Speed limit enforcement by the traffic police is a complicated process for Chennai.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- The government should allow 24×7 restaurants in Chennai: 87.5% 🏆
- The government shouldn’t allow 24×7 restaurants in Chennai: 12.5%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What off-the-beaten-path place would you take a first-time visitor to the city?
Shiva: “Thirisulam Sivan temple. People get transported to a decade or two back”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!