Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Clear and sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Madras holds the distinction of having the first-ever race meet in India. Guindy was the area earmarked for racing as early as 1777. A racecourse was constructed by taking 81 cawnies of land from the villages of Velachery and Venkatapuram.
🚇 Metro extension to Parandur
The Phase 2 line could be extended to Parandur with multiple stations.
What’s it about? Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has proposed extending the Poonamallee-Sriperumbudur line by another 28 km to connect Parandur. This is where the new greenfield airport is expected to be built. A feasibility study showed there’d likely be multiple stations before the line ends at the airport.
- The government has ambitious plans to develop an Aero City with hotels, townships, educational institutions, and a maintenance, repair, and overhaul hub for aircraft. The goal is to have an airport city with multiple stations.
- The trains on the extension will likely be faster since stations will be located every 7-10 km between Poonamallee and Parandur. A consultant will be appointed to review existing connectivity and propose additional connectivity needs for seamless travel.
Original plan: The government previously announced a line from the Poonamallee Bypass to Sriperumbudur as an extension to the corridor-4 Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass. Parandur was added once it was decided it would be the new airport’s location.
🏙️ Metro to energise real estate sector
Given the sluggishness of the real estate market, increased metro connectivity will act as a boost.
What’s being said? A 2022 Housing.com report showed real estate launches and sales in Chennai were only higher than in Kolkata among Indian metropolitan cities. At the recent Construction World Design Build (CWDB) Conclave and Awards, experts suggested that increased metro rail connectivity will help the sector.
- The 118.9-km phase 2 of the Metro will connect more areas in the coming years and have a positive impact on the real estate sector. The cost of office spaces and housing will increase as it did in Thirumangalam, which saw a 15-35% increase in land values.
- Among the areas poised for growth are Mount Poonamallee Road and the GST corridor. The pandemic has accelerated the demand for residential spaces thanks to the popularity of remote work.
Some concerns: The retail space in the city is taking a hit. Organised retail in the city’s real estate has reached saturation with 6 million square feet. There’s still some interest in South and West Chennai, according to Ramkumar K of the Association of Professional Property Consultants of Chennai.
🗑️ Poor waste management
A private firm has performed poorly in waste management at Perungudi.
What’s it about? The Chennai Corporation entrusted WeStart Communications to remove a portion of the legacy waste at the Perungudi dump yard. Due to how slowly they worked, Zigma Global Environ Solutions has taken over a portion of the job. Tenders for the biomining work at the dump yard were awarded for clearing legacy waste accumulated over 30 years.
- WeStart is a registered PR and advertising firm. They were awarded tenders despite having no previous experience in waste management. Of the five packages in the tender process, the first two were given to WeStart for 12.7 lakh cubic meters.
- Per the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tender Rules, the company entrusted can vary the quantity up to 25% of the final order. The Corporation has added 3.17 lakh cubic meters to the third, fourth, and fifth packages.
Next steps: A Corporation official said construction of the waste processing facilities in the dump yard would take another two years. A separate contract will be awarded to clear the waste accumulated till that time.
🚌 Covid-19 and bus travel
A new study showed up to nine people can get infected travelling a half-full bus.
What’s it about? A study by scientists from Anna University and Puducherry-based ICMRVector Control Research Centre showed up to 9 people can get infected in a half-full city bus in Chennai if one passenger is Covid-19 positive. That number increases if there are more infected people on the bus.
- Scientists used the 21-G Tambaram to Boradway bus route for their study. They assumed five people would board or disembark at each of the 40 stops. The goal was to estimate the number of secondary infections on a long bus route.
- The reproductive number (RO) was calculated by accounting for travel time, time at each stop, the total number of passengers, and the volume of breathing space. The RO increases progressively over the trip’s duration.
Findings: At the journey’s end, the RO was 1.04. The number of secondary infections varies from 5 to 9 for each trip. Secondary infections are the highest at the destination terminus due to prolonged exposure.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you flown business/first class on a flight?
- Yes, I have flown business/first class on a flight.
- No, I haven’t flown business/first class on a flight.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
If you could dress up as a fictional character, who would it be and why?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Amma Canteens will see their budget doubled for this financial year.
- A 20% discount has been proposed by the Corporation for property tax defaulters.
- A group of cleaners on an Anna Salai stretch continue to irk drivers.
- Chennai’s existing infrastructure needs to be fixed before undertaking new projects.
- Sea snake sightings along the Chennai coast have increased, according to conservationists.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I plan to go on vacation this year: 75.0% 🏆
- I don’t have plans to go on vacation this year: 25.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Where do you buy groceries from?
Chitra: “Big Basket”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!