Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Heritage structures in the city are classified as Grades 1, 2, and 3. Grade 1 are prime landmarks. Under grade 2, some external changes are allowed. In Grade 3, buildings may be changed for adaptive use.
🏖️ Fate of smart kiosks
The Chennai Corporation has yet to decide what to do with the smart kiosks meant for vendors.
What’s it about? For over 18 months, the 300 kiosks meant for beach vendors have been lying unused at the RK Salai crematorium. The Corporation has yet to decide what to do with them, and there’s no immediate plan to shift them.
- Following an order from the Madras High Court, the Corporation bought them as part of a plan to beautify Marina Beach. In an August 31 council meeting, councillors urged officials to put them to use.
- 900 of them were bought for 16.5 crore. The vendors refused to use them since they were too small. Many of the ones lying unused are damaged or dumped with garbage.
Other issues: The allocation of kiosks faced hurdles following court cases and opposition from vendors. Only 540 were allocated for existing vendors and the remaining for outsiders. However, the number of vendors here was higher.
🍲 Food for Chennai hostels
New centralised kitchens will provide food for Chennai hostels.
What’s it about? The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department has decided to set up two centralised kitchens to supply food for its Chennai hostels. About 3,000 students are currently staying in 19 Adi Dravidar welfare college hostels and two school hostels.
- The selected provider will prepare meals and deliver them to the hostels. The kitchens will operate at MC Raja College Boys Hostel in Saidapet and ADW Girls Hostel campus in Vepery. They’ll be equipped to prepare food for up to 2,000 people at a time.
- The proposed menu can include chicken or mutton on one day and eggs on the remaining days, excluding Sundays. A panel will oversee the supply process and get monthly payments.
Some concerns: Some hostel wardens are unsure how the system will work since the feeding charges are often insufficient, leading to difficulties in preparing the food within the budget. There’s also the question of what happens to the kitchens in the hostels.
🎨 Unique entertainment experience
Jalato offers people unique and unusual entertainment experiences to test the senses.
What’s it about? The alternative entertainment company Jalato aims to give people unique and unusual immersive experiences. They’re looking to push the boundaries of conventional entertainment with their experiences.
- They already tasted success with their Art in the Dark venture, which got an overwhelmingly positive response in Chennai. It tested people’s sensory exploration in complete darkness.
- Their new “Dude! Where’s the Colour?” experience will see people stepping into a room devoid of colour. Participants are given materials in this room to create their own abstract works of art.
Why these experiences? Founder Indrajala said the process is meant to be liberating since people don’t have the constraints of predefined colours. It’s a fusion of art, surprise, and personal discovery.
🍲 Going the extra mile
A group of food delivery workers have banded together to feed the city’s less fortunate.
What’s it about? Come rain to shine, food delivery workers ensure people get their food or groceries delivered to their doorsteps. Going the extra mile, 14 of them have created a network called “Agal Kudumbam” to donate food to the needy out of their own pockets.
- They first began by donating food outside a dargah in Kovalam. However, they decided to donate elsewhere since people returned the food for money. They then donated to 5,000 kids at the Sadhana Children Trust.
- Over the past few months, they’ve donated to over five NGOs and fed over 450 people across Chennai, mostly kids, persons with disabilities and those with mental illness. They also help others by directing them toward NGOs.
How did it begin? Zepto delivery partner Silambarasan invited some other delivery partners to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Another driver, Mohammed Dasthageer, instead suggested the food could be given to someone in need. Other drivers cover the cost even if some can’t pay their share for a month.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you stayed in an Airbnb?
- I have stayed in an Airbnb.
- I haven’t stayed in an Airbnb.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What Indian city have you visited the most (outside of Chennai)?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- State and District Green Committees have been formed to check the cutting of trees.
- Fresh and cost-effective technology is being looked at by the Corporation for flood mitigation.
- A new pet park will soon come up at the Corporation Park in Abiramapuram.
- The Chennai airport will likely have two domestic terminals from October.
- Poor design and maintenance could render the city’s foot-over bridges useless.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- My residential complex has rainwater harvesting facilities: 60.0% 🏆
- My residential complex doesn’t have rainwater harvesting facilities: 40.0%
That’s it for today. Have a great day!