Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: High: 38 ℃ | Low: 28 ℃ | Mostly cloudy weather for today.
🧐 Did you know? In 2014, Chennai became the first city in India to adopt a non-motorised transport (NMT) policy.
📚 Foster reading and creativity
Prakrith Arivagam has become a hub for young minds to read and be creative.
What’s it about? After working for over a decade in the US, former electronics engineer Sriram Gopalan came to Chennai and wanted to promote reading among children. He was inspired by the library culture in the US and how American parents inculcate reading habits in kids at an early age. He began Prakrith Arivagam Children’s Library with its dedicated space in New Perungalathur.
- Over the course of a year, the library became a hub for kids to explore literature, art, and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
- One of its most popular programmes is the weekly “Story Saturday” designed to instil the love of reading through stories. The library also organises art workshops to foster creativity and imagination.
What’s next? Sriram wants to introduce a science club, a financial literacy course, and expand the library’s reach by providing books to government schools.
🚶♀️ Footpaths help reduce emissions
An ITDP study showed that improved pavements in the city have helped cut emissions.
What’s it about? According to a study by the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), improved pavements and footpaths in the city have helped reduce emissions by 4,000-12,000 tonnes annually. The study claimed that 9-12% of people walking on footpaths would’ve used motorised transport otherwise.
- The data was collected in 2019 by surveying 424 people walking on footpaths in T Nagar, Harrington Road, and Anna Nagar. It wasn’t released then due to the pandemic. Since then, the city has dedicated resources to improve footpaths and pavements for pedestrians.
- The study showed that by shifting away from motor vehicles, footpath users reduced between 150-680 kg of particulate matter annually. 95% of respondents also said they felt safer walking on improved footpaths.
More to be done: The report stated that improved footpaths and pavements alone aren’t scalable solutions for transport decarbonisation. Projects need to be evaluated to help scale up sustainable mobility infrastructure.
🛩️ Air show tragedy
The IAF Air Show at Marina witnessed a crowd of around 1.5 million but ended in tragedy, with five fatalities and several hospitalisations due to heat-related issues.
Heat issues: Despite the thrilling aerial displays, the event saw a surge in medical emergencies as attendees struggled with the intense heat. Many spectators arrived early, resulting in gridlock around the venue, and a significant number were unprepared for the weather. Among the deceased were V Karthikeyan, who fainted while walking home, and D John, who collapsed near the Parthasarathy arch.
- Nearly 100 individuals were treated for heat-related illnesses, with many suffering from dizziness and heat stroke.
- The hospitals received multiple patients, some declared dead on arrival, with officials attributing the deaths to heat-related complications exacerbated by underlying health conditions.
Lack of facilities: Attendees expressed frustration over the lack of basic amenities, such as safe drinking water, to accommodate the large crowd. Although the event was well-managed, public transport systems faltered, leaving thousands stranded after the show.
🚇 Metro finance secured
The Centre has approved the Chennai Metro Phase 2 and will fund a portion of the project.
What’s it about? Following the Centre’s approval of the project, the Finance Ministry said the union government will fund 65% of the project, which adds up to ₹41,000 crore. The balance ₹22,000 crore will be financed by the state government.
- The state is now categorised as “central sector”. The loans from different agencies will be treated as loans to the union government and be provided directly to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) from the union budget.
- CMRL will be responsible for repaying the loans that normally begin after a moratorium of at least five years. If they can’t repay, the state government will be obligated to provide financial support to the company.
History: Previously, the project was categorised as a “state sector” since Tamil Nadu was financing nearly 90% of it. The Centre helped the state mobilise over ₹32,000 crore of which ₹6,100 crore has been utilised so far.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Did you watch the Chennai Air Show in person or on TV/social media?
- I watched the Chennai Air Show in person.
- I watched the Chennai Air Show on TV/social media.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What fear would you like to conquer?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Electricity minister V Senthilbalaji visited TANGEDCO’s headquarters in Anna Salai to review its pre-monsoon preparedness.
- Chief Minister MK Stalin has asked his Industries and MSME ministers to intervene and accelerate talks between Samsung and striking workers.
- The Chennai Corporation levied fines on those dumping garbage illegally near Perungudi as they continue to curb illegal dumping.
- Here’s an inside look at how cars are manufactured at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur plant.
- Shiv Nadar School of Law was inaugurated at the Shiv Nadar University’s Chennai campus.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!