Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 38 ℃ | Low: 27 ℃ | Hot weather for the day!
🧐 Did you know? Burma Bazaar was started in the 1960s by Burmese refugees. Following the 1962 military coup, many Burmese Indians fled to India. They began selling items they’d bought to earn a living at the Chennai Beach station.
🍉 Seasonal fruits demand
The higher temperatures and prices of seasonal fruits have led to lower demand.
What’s it about? As temperatures continue to increase in the city, the prices of seasonal fruits have also spiked. For fruit sellers, the market has been dull due to lower demand. The prices of melons and watermelons have increased in the past week.
- The price of lemons has increased from ₹30 per kg to ₹120. The higher demand has led to higher prices. It’s the same for watermelons.
- Other fruits like jackfruit and sweet lemon have also seen price increases. On the other hand, fruits like apples and oranges continue to see high prices ranging from ₹120 to ₹250 per kg.
Keeping hydrated: Watermelons are low in calories and have a lot of water content. For diabetics, tender coconut water and guava are the best in moderation.
🗳️ Voting demographics analysis
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While women outnumbered men in polling in the state, fewer women voted in the Chennai suburbs.
What’s it about? The state recorded 69.72% polling on Friday, with over 4.3 crore votes polled. Of this, 2.21 crore were women and 2.12 crore were men. However, in the Chennai suburbs, male voters outnumbered women.
- In Chennai South, 53.2% of women voted compared to 55% of men. In Chennai Central, 52.4% of women voted compared to 55.5% of men. In Chennai North, 58.5 of women voted against 61.7% of men.
- One reason could be the relocation of the working-class population. In Mylapore, five slum board settlements were demolished, and people moved to the outskirts but didn’t change their voter IDs.
What about elsewhere? In the Southern and Cauvery Delta, women voted in large numbers in places like Trichy, Perambalur, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tuticorin, and Madurai.
⚒️ Voting aftermath at schools
The voting process takes a toll on school venues which are used as polling stations.
What’s it about? As the Lok Sabha elections are done and dusted in the state, many of the city’s schools, used as polling stations have to pick up the pieces. They spend time and money to clean up the premises, remove posters, and fix broken furniture.
- Teachers and education officials have repeatedly asked the Election Commission and the Education Department to ensure the physical premises are taken care of.
- At the Chennai Primary School in Mogappair, shelves were damaged, and the CCTVs were disconnected. The headmistress said it’d cost at least ₹10,000 to restore the cameras.
What should be done? Going forward, the Election Commission should ensure posters aren’t plastered across the walls, and there should be observers to make sure property isn’t damaged.
✈️ Airfare ups and downs
Airfares for trips from Chennai not planned in advance have decreased, signalling a buck in the trends.
What’s it about? There has been a change in the ongoing trend of high airfare rates from Chennai. For trips not planned well in advance to other metro cities, the prices have decreased. It’s probably because the frequency of flights is higher.
- One-way fares for last-minute bookings to Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi are between ₹5,000 and ₹8,000. They’re usually at least ₹10,000 on popular routes.
- Following disruptions due to heavy rains in Dubai, there has been a drop in the number of people flying out of the country. Some operators expect airfares for some routes to increase next month.
Why the lower fares? The ongoing election season, airline offers, and reduced travel from transit points like Mumbai and Delhi are among the reasons cited.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you purchased a fake branded product?
- I have purchased a fake branded product.
- I haven’t purchased a fake branded product.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which is your preferred fast food outlet?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Chennai residents returning to the city after voting in their native towns caused several traffic jams.
- Two foot-over bridges have been proposed by the CMDA at 100 ft road and Anna Salai.
- Over 25,000 students have enrolled for IIT Madras’ data science programme.
- Despite increased passenger numbers at the Chennai airport, it lags behind other metro airports.
- The Mambalam Canal remains polluted with sewage and garbage, with the water reaching the Adyar river.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- There was a good turnout at my polling station: 55.6% 🏆
- There wasn’t a good turnout at my polling station: 44.4%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Do you plan on taking a summer vacation?
Suchi: “No”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!