Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 31 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Mostly sunny and clear for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The first permanent theatre in the city was set up on Broadway in 1911 called the Bioscope.
🎭 In honour of Didu
From a freedom fighter to a theatre artiste, Supriya Cheriyan’s life was eventful.
Her history: Supriya Cheriyan passed away last month, 23 days before her 100th birthday. She was ahead of her time, from participating in the Quit India Movement to acting in plays in her 90s. She always wanted to become an actor but never pursued it until later.
- Chennaiites affectionately called her Didu. She believed in serving humanity and often travelled the world independently. She experimented with singing and playing the piano well into her 90s.
- At 92, she participated in Little Theatre’s Christmas Pantomime, did a commercial and a music video at 90, and acted in a short film at 95.
Tribute: This year’s Christmas Pantomime by Little Theatre will be dedicated to her life and legacy.
🌈 Delving into diverse stories
The Chennai Rainbow Film Festival invites filmmakers to submit their works for its 4th edition.
What’s it about? To celebrate LGBTQ+ stories, the festival has invited storytellers to submit their films for its 4th edition in February. The festival will include panel discussions, an art exhibition, a music show, and cultural performances.
- The festival will showcase selected works, including short films, features, documentaries, and experimental works that explore the depth and diversity of LGBTQ+ stories.
- Festival Director Sasha Reddy wants the festival to highlight stories that capture the spectrum of experiences to promote understanding and inclusivity.
Culturally relevant: The festival looks for films relevant to the zeitgeist, offer new perspectives, and provide a platform for marginalised voices.
🚍 MTC survey
The MTC launched a survey to help set the minimum benchmarks for its bus services.
What’s it about? The Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC) field-level survey will help set benchmarks for its bus services across the city. The survey began last week and will cover the city’s core and suburban areas. It will cover aspects like cleanliness, comfort, and personal safety.
- The survey will be done using digital devices on buses, terminals at bus stops, and other locations. The aim is to gather feedback from 2,300-2,500 respondents with equal representation from men, women, senior citizens, and those with disabilities.
- The survey is to understand and evaluate current service standards with public feedback. This will be used to set a baseline for improving service quality. In the first week, most commuters rated the efficiency of services as poor due to irregular operations and a shortage of buses.
Uses: The information gathered from the survey will be used for several initiatives, like the introduction of the National Common Mobility Card, electronic payment system, and intelligent transport system.
🛣️ Prone to flooding
Even with little rain, the Valluvar Kottam High Road remains prone to stagnant water.
What’s it about? Valluvar Kottam High Road becomes prone to stagnant water on days with little or no rain. To make things worse, the water often mixes with sewage to emit a foul smell. Residents say the problem has remained unaddressed for several years.
- According to Ward 110 councillor N Chitrarasu, waterlogging occurs when the Agatheeshwar temple pond on North Mada Street overflows. When it rains, water overflows onto the road, and there’s no permanent solution yet.
- The water mixes with sewage and enters nearby residences and even a private hospital. It’s also a danger to two-wheeler commuters.
Potential fix: N Chitrarasu submitted a proposal to build a stormwater drain that can accommodate heavy water flow. The plan calls for a new 1.2m×1.2m stormwater drain along a 300-metre stretch from East Mada Street to Valluvar Kottam 1st Street.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you travelled to another city for a concert/sporting event?
- I have travelled to another city for a concert/sporting event.
- I haven’t travelled to another city for a concert/sporting event.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s the latest song you listen to on repeat?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The increasing prevalence of meth in Chennai and Tamil Nadu points to a potential health crisis.
- Silt from drains removed by the Chennai Corporation piles up on Porur’s roadsides.
- An 18-year-old Chennai girl led Team India to victory at the Carrom World Cup.
- P Krishna Mohan Reddy, from the Chennai Resilience Centre, suggests a unique approach to tackle the city’s flood problem.
- Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, met with industry stakeholders in Chennai to discuss policy initiatives.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- Firecrackers should be banned to tackle pollution: 66.7% 🏆
- Firecrackers shouldn’t be banned to tackle pollution: 33.3%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s one small habit that’s made a big difference in your life?
Suchi: “Meditation”
Rangarajan: “Hitting the Gym”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!