Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 32 ℃ | Low: 22 ℃ | Partly cloudy skies for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Gaana, the unique rap-like collection of rhythms, originated in the slums of Tondiarpet in north Chennai.
🎶 Bringing together indigenous artists
Banyan Tree Events organised an evening of music from indigenous artists from several states.
What’s it about? The 23rd consecutive year of Ruhaniyat at the Madras Race Club showcased musical talent from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The show has become a cultural platform to discover new talents and forms of music.
- Among those who performed was Carnatic singer Sivasri Skandaprasad with a freestyle Tirumantiram shokla. Padma Shri awardee Hemant Chauhan took audiences on a journey through the tales of Gujarat.
- The Huun-Huur-Tu band from the Republic of Tuva captivated with tunes of nature and animals. They performed using native instruments like the igil, khomus (Tuvan jaw harp), doshpuluur, and dünggür.
Blending musical styles: The event was a way to showcase an ensemble of different folk music traditions. Different artists and groups presented their unique styles with the ‘When Hearts Connect’ concept.
🏞️ Eco park concerns
Residents raised their concerns at a public meeting over the proposed Eco Park at the Perungudi dump yard.
What’s it about? A public meeting was organised by the Chennai Corporation over the proposed eco-park. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Joint Commissioner Health, Shankar Lal Kumawat. The gathered residents questioned the absence of the mayor and South Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian.
- Around 100 acres of land are expected to be recovered, and the Corporation wants to build the park on it. Biomining is currently taking place to clear the legacy waste.
- Residents were concerned that the park would change the site’s topography and alter the wetland’s nature. There has been no clarity from environmental experts or government officials on how the park will revive the marshlands.
Current plan: The plan is to build an eco-park on 93 acres with ponds for ₹99 crore. The consultants hired made a presentation to the public, following which the public opposed it.
🖼️ Showcasing climate-vulnerable groups
An exhibition attempts to spotlight stories of those affected by climate disasters.
What’s it about? The three-day Museum of Memories exhibition at the Kamarajar Arangam showcases the names and stories of people who’ve been affected by climate disasters. Organised by Greenpeace India, the exhibit contains actual items belonging to those affected.
- Some of the items on display are childhood dolls, a prized photo of MGR damaged during cyclone Michaung, a pair of worn-down dolls that belonged to a two-year-old girl from Bihar who died of heatstroke, and others.
- The exhibit, with names and stories included, showcases that it’s not just artefacts but houses and livelihoods of climate-vulnerable groups that are destroyed.
Attention to climate change: The exhibition’s goal is to draw the government’s attention to the issue of climate change and the measures needed to mitigate it.
🧑💻 Digital Learning
Educational content will be digitised with VR and AI for government school students.
What’s it about? School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi announced plans to use Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality to digitise education content for students. The announcement came at the inauguration of five film studios in the city.
- The education department also installed a VR studio and preview theatre. These will be managed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
- Students and teachers can use VR to immerse themselves in textbook stories. The VR studio will allow students to observe content and help educators to generate new content.
Making learning fun: For many students, reading chapters from textbooks can become boring. Using new-age technology can be a way for them to engage with lessons in a new, unique, and interactive way.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Can you play a musical instrument?
- I can play a musical instrument.
- I can’t play a musical instrument.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s the ideal amount you’d spend to buy a smartphone?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- CapitaLand India Trust has agreed to buy three industrial facilities at OneHub Chennai.
- The Avadi police entered the record books by bringing together 3,397 students to form a human chain against drug abuse.
- Metro rail patronage has decreased at the CMBT station after outstation bus services were shifted to Kilambakkam.
- The tender process for maintenance and other work at the Kilambakkam bus terminus is under scrutiny.
- Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated and laid the foundations for several Chennai Corporation projects.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I watch reality television programs: 16.7%
- I don’t watch reality television programs: 83.3% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What are your favourite kinds of animals to see at a zoo?
Suchi: “The majestic elephants”
Shiva: “Big cats, so lazy yet majestic”
Nirja: “Lion”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!