Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Cloudy weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Madras War Cemetery houses the last remains of around 855 martyrs who laid down their lives in the Second World War.
🎾 Pickleball league
With the popularity of pickleball slowly picking up, Chennai has its own franchise.
What’s it about? Pickleball is often described as a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. From school kids to retirees, the sport is gaining popularity. The All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) is doing its part to promote the sport. With the new World Pickleball League (WPBL), Chennai has its own franchise.
- The WBPL announced that the Chennai team will owned by actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. She became a recent adopter of the sport after reading about it.
- The WPBL is owned by Natekar Sports and Gaming and is officially recognised by the AIPA. The league is aiming to have six franchises with the competition taking place in Mumbai early next year.
For a wider audience: The WPBL is about expanding the sport’s viewership and popularity as a combination of sports and entertainment. It’s an easy game to learn and a tennis or badminton court can be converted into one for pickleball.
🅿️ Parking app
CUMTA plans to launch an app for booking parking slots.
What’s it about? Parking in Chennai is a persistent issue. On the weekends, parking spots are seldom available, resulting in congestion on the roads. To help people plan ahead, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) plans to launch an app for people to book slots.
- The app is currently under development and will be available in two months. Vehicle owners will be able to book parking slots and intimate them 10 minutes before their parking time expires.
- Officials are in the process of identifying 1,500 parking spots in a 5 sq km area. Previously, parking fees were collected by the local bodies and fines by the police.
New policy: The app is part of the new parking policy, expected to be released in a month. The new parking management will be implemented in phases as CUMTA will now manage parking through a control centre.
🚭 Ban on tobacco sought
With new forms of narcotics in the wild, teachers and stakeholders want a blanket ban to curb use among students.
What’s it about? There’s a rise in the usage of tobacco products, gutkha, coolip and other substances, especially among school students. Teachers and residents in areas like Vyasarpadi, Tiruvottiyur, and Perumbakkam have called for a strict anti-drug crackdown by the government.
- Tobacco-related substances are often sold in the open to school students. Over the years, many have developed addictions. Despite complaints to the police and civic officials, no measures have been taken.
- Activists have urged the government to track the sources of these substances and how they get into the hands of school students.
Official notification: In May, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department renewed the ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, and sale of chewable products like gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine till May 2025.
🚇 Additional parking at Thirumangalam metro
A new extended parking space was inaugurated at the Thirumangalam metro station.
What’s it about? The new parking space at the station can accommodate over 470 vehicles. The space, located closer to the phase 2 construction area, was opened following increased footfalls and to encourage more people to use the metro.
- The parking space is located about 200 metres from the station. It can accommodate 450 two-wheelers and 25 four-wheelers. The current parking space can handle 1,100 two-wheelers.
- Officials earlier planned to open the second parking space 500 metres from the station. Commuters from nearby areas like Mogappair and Anna Nagar West park their vehicles here.
Increased demand city-wide: The metro’s phase 1 has a total parking capacity of over 16,000 two-wheelers and nearly 3,500 four-wheelers. However, with an average of 30,000 bikes and 1,000 cars parked in metro stations, there’s a demand for more parking space.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you drink tea or coffee everyday?
- I drink tea or coffee everyday.
- I don’t drink tea or coffee everyday.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who is your favourite Indian author?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Against all odds, the Chennai Police succeeded with their Zero Accident Day campaign.
- The Chennai Corporation has allocated over ₹280 crore to relay 2,118 damaged roads.
- The ‘Madras Revisited’ exhibition at the Government Museum showcases the city’s cultural and natural history.
- Second runway expansion has helped the Chennai airport handle 10% more flights.
- Gala Precision Engineering’s IPO proceeds will be used to set up a manufacturing plant in Chennai.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I check the nutritional information on packaged foods before buying: 66.7% 🏆
- I don’t check the nutritional information on packaged foods before buying: 33.3%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Who’s you favourite Indian literary character?
Chitra: “The Common Man”
Shiva: “The Common Man”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!