Good morning, Chennai!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Cloudy with a chance of rain.
🧐 Did you know? Rajaji Hall, built in 1802, was the venue for government conferences and meetings since there were very few hotels in the city for such events.
🌊 Getting a bird’s eye view
The Chennai Corporation will use drones to survey low-lying areas in the city as the monsoon approaches.
What’s it about? As the northeast monsoon prepares to set in, several areas of the city are inherently prone to flooding since they’re low-lying. The Corporation will use drones to survey and identify these areas. In assessing rivers, 2D and 3D models of the water courses will be created with the help of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology.
- Unmanned aerial vehicles will help map flood-affected areas, especially inaccessible ones. Using drones, the Corporation will know missing links of drains and clogged drains, and devise a course of action.
- Per the 2023 Chennai Disaster Management Plan, drones will be used to cover the river basins of the Adyar, Cooum, and Kovalam rivers. The drones will be used to check the flow of water.
Last year’s survey results: In 2022, the Corporation identified several inundated areas. 16 were in Ambattur and 10 in Anna Nagar. In 28 of these areas, water stagnation was less than two feet.
🗺️ Third Master Plan
The CMDA is preparing over a dozen studies for the city’s Third Master Plan.
What’s it about? The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is conducting about 15 studies related to the Third Master Plan. They’re expected to be ready soon.
- The state government had previously ordered the expansion of the CMDA’s jurisdiction from 1,189 sq. km. to 5,904 sq. km. The existing plan will be for the former, while the remaining will have a Regional Strategic Plan.
- The new plan will focus on economics to identify priority areas and investment zones. The Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) has been brought in for a spatial distribution analysis for employment and income categories.
Studying the ecology: The CMDA is also studying the blue-green infrastructure for urban environment management, climate change adaptation, and flood resilience. The agency said previous efforts in flood-prone areas like Velachery have paid dividends.
🛌 The state of the city’s hostels
While some hostels offer various amenities, others fall short and charge high prices.
What’s it about? The city sees an influx of people who come to work and study. Hostels are among the preferred accommodation for many. While several hostels advertise and deliver on cleanliness and amenities, others fall short. Efforts to regulate them haven’t made much difference.
- Several hostels don’t have proper amenities, and some that do are poorly maintained. Poor hygiene is one of the main complaints. Some hostel owners are rude, so grievances go unanswered and unresolved.
- Prices charged by some hostels are also high, and they’re less transparent about fees. Some hostels increase their fees by ₹500-1,000 every month, making them unaffordable to many, especially students.
Regulation attempt: Based on several complaints, hostels in the city were mandated to register with the collectorate under the 2015 Tamil Nadu Hostels and Home for Women and Children (Regulation) Act. Now, officials are looking to clamp down on illegal hostels by conducting inspections to ensure they’re compliant with hygiene and safety standards.
📚 For the love of reading
The Beyond Books book club hopes to instil a love of reading and literature in kids.
What’s it about? Homeschooling mother Lakshmi Vikram is on a mission to spread her love of reading and literature to the younger generation. She started a book club called Beyond Books to do just that.
- With a decline in kids’ reading abilities due to the pandemic, she developed a 12-session programme on Thursdays and weekends. It’s designed to nurture the love for reading and help bridge the reading gap.
- The programme will include topics like syntax, semantics, and phonics. On Thursdays, the plan is to take kids to libraries. On the weekends, the programme will have a read-along and introduce them to audiobooks.
Having an impact: The programme will include a wide variety of literature, including picture books. Beyond increasing their reading abilities, the programme hopes to unlock a child’s imagination and serve as a cornerstone for vocabulary, reading, critical thinking, and comprehension.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Did you make a purchase during the recent Amazon and Flipkart sales?
- I made purchases during the recent Amazon and Flipkart sales.
- I didn’t make purchases during the recent Amazon and Flipkart sales.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your preferred hill station in the country?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- 25% of beach waste collected as part of a clean-up drive was found to be plastic.
- Delays in relocating assets from the decommissioned Ennore thermal plant have stalled R-LNG power projects.
- Chennai to Salem flights have resumed after a 31-month gap.
- Chennai’s thrift stores offer a new and innovative way to encourage fast fashion.
- The Chetpet Eco Park has something for everyone with increased visitors on weekends.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I distribute sweets to others during Diwali: 70.0% 🏆
- I don’t distribute sweets to others during Diwali: 30.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite seafood?
Suchi: “Crab”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!