Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | A little cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? A separate US consular agency was established in Madras in May 1867, and Joseph L Thompson was appointed Consular Agent to Madras.
📽️ Cuban Film Festival
The three-day festival provides an insight into Cuban cinema and culture.
What’s it about? The Cuban Film Festival 2024 is underway, hosted by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation’s Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba. The event provides an immersive and engaging view of Cuban culture through storytelling and cinema.
- The opening film, Contigo y Cebolla, depicted familial bonds and Cuban life’s simple pleasures. It was attended by a large gathering of cinephiles and students.
- The films showcased on Sunday were Innocence and The Eye of the Canary. The former explores youngsters’ quest for freedom. The latter portrays Cuba’s past through the eyes of a young Jose Marti.
Cross-cultural exchange: The festival reflects CIFF’s commitment to fostering artistic exchange and bringing world cinema to Chennai.
🤝 IIT-M and AP government pact
IIT Madras and the Andhra Pradesh government will collaborate on digital skilling and deep-tech innovation.
What’s it about? The premier institute and the Andhra Pradesh government signed eight agreements to foster innovation and development across sectors like aviation, maritime research, and technological innovation.
- IIT Madras will consult the Andhra government on setting up a deep-tech incubation park at Amaravati. It will also assist in creating the Smart Tech-Enabled Sports City.
- The institute will also offer skilling programmes to students and teachers through its SWAYAM Plus and Vidhya Shakti initiatives. With its data science and AI expertise, IIT Madras will also help in real-time governance.
Aviation development: IIT Madras will help boost the state’s aviation industry by supporting Kuppam and Puttaparthi as logistics and maintenance hubs. With expertise in global connectivity, IIT Madras will help strengthen Vizag’s role as an international internet gateway.
✊ Koyambedu traders protest
Many traders protested at the Koyambedu market, demanding basic amenities.
What’s it about? Wholesale and retail traders at the Koyambedu market protested, demanding basic facilities and amenities. They criticised the government for failing to address their demands for toilets, drinking water, and a proper drainage system.
- The government had allocated ₹32 crore to provide basic facilities, but it hasn’t come to fruition. The areas where vegetables and fruits are dumped aren’t regularly cleaned.
- Of the 56 toilets in the market, only 15 are functional. The traders spend ₹200-300 per day on drinking water cans. When it rains heavily, the market gets inundated since there’s no proper drainage system.
Cattle menace: The traders have also complained about the stray cattle menace. Dozens of cows roam freely throughout the market during peak hours, which affects business.
🚰 Chembarambakkam Lake water level
The water level at the Chembarambakkam Lake is 40% less than the corresponding level last year.
What’s it about? The Chembarambakkam Lake is one of Chennai’s main sources of drinking water. According to data from the Water Resources Department (WRD), its water level is 40% lower than last year.
- The lake’s current storage is 1.889 tmfct against the total capacity of 3.645 tmfct. Last year, the storage was 3.130 tmcft. There’s some hope since the water level increased from 1.61 tmcft on November 3 to 1.89 tmcft on November 15.
- The lower storage could be due to the delayed monsoon in the catchment areas. In the current spell, 1.34 tmfct of Krishna water was received from Andhra Pradesh. Last year, it was 2.41 tmfct.
Improving capacity: The WRD recently floated tenders for ₹2.29 crore to repair the bunds, build flood protection walls, and close the upstream channels to prevent water loss. The work is expected to begin in January and be finished by next year’s northeast monsoon.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you think firecrackers should be banned to tackle pollution?
- Firecrackers should be banned to tackle pollution.
- Firecrackers shouldn’t be banned to tackle pollution.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s one small habit that’s made a big difference in your life?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Composer AR Rahman will receive an award for innovation from IIT Madras.
- The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation(TCMC) imposed a ₹1.4 lakh fine on 42 landowners for failure to build boundary walls on vacant properties.
- Amrita Lahiri and Chandana Bala Kalyan will bring their dance and singing talents for a live performance in Chennai.
- Global Sports City, planned at Semmancheri on OMR, is on track with a concept plan by January.
- A sudden power outage at the Kalaignar Centenary Hospital in Guindy left patients and staff in shock.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!