Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 31 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Mostly cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The city’s first formal bank incorporated as a Joint Stock Company was the Carnatic Bank. It was established in Fort St. George in 1788.
🏏 Chepauk cheers
Fans showed up to cheer the Indian women’s team taking on South Africa.
What’s the history? Chennai played host to the Indian women’s cricket team as they took on South Africa for a one-off Test match and three T20s. This was the first time in 48 years that a women’s Test match was at Chepauk and 17 years for the Indian women’s game. It was also 8 years since an international women’s game was played here.
- On the first session of the day 1 of play, the crowd began trickling in. The attendance was over 5,000 even on a weekday, and that trend continued through the weekend, with a larger crowd on Sunday.
- For the T20 matches, 12,000 fans turned up for the first encounter and nearly 15,000 for the third match. Despite the second match being washed out due to rain, 13,000 came to the stadium.
Chennai gets its chance: Since the WPL was announced, most of the matches were played in Mumbai. In the second season, Bengaluru and New Delhi got their chance to show their support. Now, Chennai, with the series against South Africa, got the chance to show their love for the team.
🚍 Double-decker buses to return?
The MTC could get electric double-decker buses to ply on Chennai’s roads next year.
What’s it about? The iconic double-decker buses that once roamed the city could be making a comeback. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) could get electric double-decker buses as part of the World Bank-funded Chennai City Partnership Programme.
- The buses would be bought under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. The private company will own, operate, and maintain the buses. The fares and routes will be decided by the MTC.
- Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm, Switch Mobility, conducted a test run of an electric double-decker bus last August.
History: Double-decker buses were first introduced in Chennai in the 1970s but were taken off the roads in the 1980s. They were reintroduced in 1997 and operated on the 18A routes from the High Court to Tambaram till 2008.
🚆 CMRL-MRTS merger in limbo
.jpg){kind=link}
The proposed takeover of MRTS by the CMRL remains uncertain as the Railway Board has yet to approve it.
What’s it about? The Railway Board has yet to give its commitment to the state government for the proposed takeover of the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The proposal was sent to the Board for approval in February.
- The broad principles document was prepared by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA). It stated that the CMRL and Southern Railway will have a 67% and 33% stake in the assets post-merger.
- MRTS is currently operating on an annual loss of ₹84 crore. The state government has proposed a plan to absorb the losses. However, railways are under the Union List, and the state government can’t make the final call.
Timeline: If the Railway Board accepts the proposal, the actual takeover can happen after the fourth line of the MRTS between Chennai Beach and Egmore is completed.
🏡 Real estate boom thanks to metro
Western Chennai and other parts of the city have seen a real estate boom thanks to increased metro connectivity.
What’s it about? Large spaces and high-volume homes with improved amenities have become increasingly popular among homebuyers in Western Chennai thanks to increasing metro connectivity. A report by property consultants Knight Frank India showed that the city’s residential market recorded a 12% year-on-year increase in sales.
- Between January and June this year, nearly 8,000 units were sold, mainly concentrated in Southern and Western Chennai. Sales in the western parts increased compared to 2023.
- In the western region, homebuyers are looking at homes in the ₹80 lakh to ₹1 crore range. People previously preferred South Chennai due to the IT corridor and educational institutions.
Mid-segment performance: While there’s a shift toward the high-end market, the mid-segment remains robust. Homes priced between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore accounted for 44% of total sales, thanks to demand from the workforce in hospitality and manufacturing.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Did you follow the EURO 2024 tournament?
- I did follow the EURO 2024 tournament.
- I didn’t follow the EURO 2024 tournament.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who’s your favourite non-cricket Indian sportsperson?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Kannagi Nagar residents’ demands for basic facilities and infrastructure have fallen on deaf ears.
- The stormwater drains under construction across the city have yet to be interlinked and joined with water bodies.
- The Kasimedu fishing harbour is being modernised and will sport a new look by next March.
- City-based Sahodaran launched its special edition calendar that focuses on breaking stereotypes.
- Waiting time for homebuyers has decreased the most among large construction projects.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have watched non-IPL Indian sports leagues: 16.7%
- I haven’t watched non-IPL Indian sports leagues: 83.3% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s a good habit you wish to cultivate?
Suchi: “To journal everyday.”
Shiva: “Waking up early”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!