Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: It’s going to be sunny with clear skies.
🧐 Did you know? Trade fairs and exhibitions in the city were held in West Madras. It was a vast stretch of land, with the Ambattur Industrial Estate and TVS Colony the only entities of note. The first event here was the India International Trade and Industries Fair of 1968, sponsored by the All India Manufacturers Association.
🌇 Is Chennai earthquake-ready?
A new study shows what portion of the city is at risk if an earthquake strikes.
What’s it about? How would Chennai hold up if it was struck by an earthquake similar to the one in Turkey recently? A new study shows 60% of the city’s localities are at risk, with 53% of the population likely to be affected. While some areas are at a higher risk than others, some geophysicists say Chennai falls under the seismic 2 and 3 zones and may not face high-intensity earthquakes.
- A team from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) assessed and mapped liquefaction, a loosely packed sediment that can weaken during an earthquake. It can happen in places like Chetpet, Teynampet, and T Nagar.
- Following the Bhuj earthquake in 2002, Chennai was upgraded to seismic zone 2 or 3. Coastal areas from Tiruvottiyur to Injambakkam have black clay and sandy soil. Places with shallow water tables may experience liquefaction.
Who said what? Professor G Ganapathy from VIT said Chennai has a combination of soil conditions with different thicknesses and water table depths. Not all mapped areas are liquefication-prone, and an earthquake of magnitude 6 or above would cause some effect. Geologist Ajay Kumar said locally, the chances are higher for earthquakes in the 3-4 magnitude.
🚉 Train fatalities
More than 700 people were run over by trains in Chennai last year.
What’s it about? Despite numerous awareness initiatives and penalties, there has been an increase in the number of people who were run over by trains. In 2021, there were 576 fatalities. This increased to 755 in 2022. The most recent incident was a college student who was run over by an express train near Tambaram.
- People continue to hop across tracks as trains approach stations on the suburban line. Most of the death occurred on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Central/Beach-Tiruvallur-Arakkonam, and Central/Beach-Gummidipoondi lines.
- The 1989 Railways Act categorises anyone on the tracks as a trespasser. Authorities have found it tough to impose penalties since most of them are students and workers who can’t pay the fine.
Who said what? One railway official said commuters don’t use the foot overbridges or subways and cited fewer accidents at level crossings. Consumer activist T Sadagopan said the railway authorities should put up boards listing the deaths. Social activist V Santhanam said people find it easier to cross the tracks and reach the GST road as officials don’t take notice.
🦾 New CEAT warehouse
CEAT launched its state-of-the-art, fully-automated warehouse.
What’s it about? Tyre manufacturer CEAT opened its new fully-automated warehouse in the city. It uses state-of-the-art technology to store, retrieve, and dispatch tyres. For the company, it’s an important milestone towards its growth and development in India.
- The Chennai plant has a capacity of 20,000 passenger car radials per day. It also has a capacity of two lakh finished tyres which can be expanded over the next five years.
- The aim of automation for the company is to improve delivery quality and not reduce manpower. The plant is close to automobile makers like Renault-Nissan, Hyundai, Daimler, and Ashok Leyland.
Company’s goals: The warehouse will help the company provide superior quality products to its customers. It aims to maintain its established high-quality standards in product development.
🩺 Healthcare for the underprivileged
Two friends are on a mission to provide affordable healthcare to underprivileged families.
What’s it about? A 2017 incident of a young girl dying of dengue as her parents couldn’t afford healthcare in Mohan Munusamy’s neighbourhood inspired him to take action. With his college friend S Udhayakumar, they began the Foundation for Friendly Environment and Medical Awareness (FEMA). They aim to provide affordable healthcare to those who can’t afford it.
- FEMA runs an evening clinic that offers medicines and vaccinations for a one-time registration fee of ₹30. Their Smart Hearts lab, run by professionals who have undergone FEMA’s courses, provides free diagnosis for diabetes and hypertension.
- For bedridden patients, they offer help at their homes. It ensures they don’t have to worry about being transported to a hospital or healthcare centre and the costs involved.
Other efforts: FEMA also conducts street plays to spread awareness about diseases. They organise eye camps and screen for HIV in different locations. They also run a tuition centre for kids in Ranipet. Due to a high dropout rate among tribal children, they provided evening snacks and offered practical classes with activities like drawing and painting.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Would you prefer to wear glasses or contact lenses?
- I prefer to wear glasses.
- I prefer to wear contact lenses.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your preferred smartphone brand?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Construction of new stormwater drains in South Chennai will begin next week.
- Disability groups have asked Central Station officials to reinstate public announcements.
- Vasantha Bhavan celebrated its 50th year with its newly-launched VB World.
- OMR residents go on hunger strike over delay in completing drinking water and sewage projects.
- 800 families have struggled for years without basic amenities at Thideer Nagar.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!