Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: A sunny and clear day ahead.
🧐 Did you know? Santhome High Road was once a fortress with high walls, gates, and bastions. It was built by the Portuguese and was twice the size of Fort St. George.
🛍️ Location for ration shops
Velachery residents want officials to remove encroachments and find a permanent spot for rations shops.
What’s it about? Ration shops in Velachery shift from one location to another since they’re at rented places. Residents want the government to find a permanent solution since they sometimes have to walk 2 km to the shop. Officials said if there are any illegal encroachments in the vicinity, they should be immediately removed.
- Even with government space in the locality, they’ve been taken over by encroachments and illegal buildings. Previously, encroachment blocked six culverts near the Perungudi railway station.
- After multiple complaints, the buildings were evicted. Local body officials were asked to identify locations to shift the ration shop to benefit locals. They’ve yet to inspect a spot.
Who said what? M Balakrishnan of the Tansi Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association cited the example of a ration shop on Dhandeeswaram main road that was relocated thrice. One official said the government should take action to relocate the shops to a proper spot.
🚉 Foot overbridge at Guindy railway station
The new bridge will help ease passenger connectivity from the station’s platforms.
What’s it about? A new 12-metre pedestrian foot overbridge (FOB) will replace an old one located too close to the tracks on platform 1 of the stations. The new FOB will link the eastern entrance on the Race Course Road side with the metro on the western entrance at the GST Road side.
- Passengers from all five platforms can use the FOB to connect to all exits out of the station. Some minor work remains that will be finished in a few days.
- The railway safety manual states there should be a minimum distance of 2.36 metres between the track’s centre and a permanent structure. Two of the existing pillars are between 2-2.15 metres.
Danger: In July 2018, seven people were killed travelling on the footboard of a suburban train when it collided with a concrete wall. One of the platforms on the western side, known as the double discharge platform, was developed in 2021 to reduce congestion on the stairs of platforms 2 and 3.
🚸 Students and road safety
A new study showed one in two Chennai school students are prone to road accidents.
What’s it about? A study by NIT Trichy and IIT Bombay showed one in two school students have been hit by vehicles or have experienced near misses on Chennai roads. Some engaged in risky behaviour by not focusing on the road. Their knowledge was based on and shaped by their parent’s road safety behaviour, like wearing seat belts and helmets.
- 31% of those who met with an accident had no injuries. 5% suffered head injuries, and about 2% had multiple injuries. In half of these incidents, two-wheelers were involved.
- At least 11% of the respondents said their parents didn’t wear helmets, 20% said they didn’t wear seat belts, and 7% said they used their phones while driving.
Commute patterns: Children who walked home from school with a parent or adult engaged in less risky behaviour. About 17% of those surveyed walked home from school. About 35-45% of them did so with friends. With 12% of the respondents cycling to school, some have recommended a dedicated cycling track.
🔥 Kochi dump yard lessons for Chennai
The Brahmapuram fire at the Kochi dump yard is a wake-up call for Chennai.
What’s it about? Last summer, a fire raged for almost a week at the Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dump yards. News about the Kochi dump yard has triggered the Chennai Corporation to take some lessons. Biomining and chemical spraying are a couple of the methods being employed.
- The ongoing biomining process is being accelerated with men and machinery on standby in case of a fire. Chemicals are being sprayed to avoid methane build-up. Methane acts like a fuel when it mixes with the atmosphere.
- An eco-park, a bio CNG plant, and a material recovery facility will be set up. There are plans to make the city landfill-free and to process legacy and fresh waste. 60% of legacy waste is already biomined.
Who said what? N Mahesan from the Chennai Corporation said plans are ready for processing facilities for wet and dry waste at 190 acres at Perungudi. One resident from Kodungayur said the air and water get polluted, and there are small fires throughout the year. A 2019 study showed 32% of the residents there have respiratory issues.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you wake up late on weekends and holidays?
- Yes, I wake up later than usual on weekends and holidays.
- No, I don’t wake up later than usual on weekends and holidays.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite animated movie?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The State government has sanctioned more than 141 new parks in Chennai to be completed by December.
- The Kothandaraman temple tank in West Mambalam will be ready for the Theppam festival in May.
- Stormwater drain pits dug up in Anna Salai have become sewage cesspools.
- Vision 11 is Chennai Super Kings’ new associate sponsor.
- The 100-year-old history of Triplicane sweetshop Basha Halwawala and its no-plastic policy.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I do visit a place of worship regularly: 40.0%
- I don’t visit a place of worship regularly: 60.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite planet, and why?
Giri: “Earth: I live here and never visited others 😊”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!