Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny weather for today.
🧐 Did you know? The Dasaprakash Hotel was one of the city’s oldest and most famous landmarks. Among its notable patrons were Jawaharlal Nehru, Annadurai, and Kamaraj.
🚇 Boosting Metro patronage
Chennai Metro sees the IPL and music events as ways to increase passenger numbers.
What’s it about? On average, the Metro sees about 2.5 lakh passengers on weekdays and less than 2 lakh on weekends. In partnering with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the Indian Premier League (IPL), organisers of big events, and concert hosts, the Metro hopes the numbers will increase over time.
- For the IPL, the partnership with CSK allows fans to travel to the match for free on the Metro, and games will be live-streamed on giant LED screens at some stations.
- The recent AR Rahman concert attracted 1,600 passengers since they could travel from the Central Metro to the venue for free on the feeder service.
Who said what? Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) said Metro officials could attract more students by offering discounts and congratulatory messages once they’ve completed a certain number of trips. One Metro official said part of their focus is to attract first-time passengers.
🏞️ Native trees for green cover
The Corporation will plant hundreds of trees across several parks to increase green cover.
What’s it about? The Chennai Corporation has a goal of planting 100 new trees in every park, mostly in the areas added to the Corporation in 2011. Officials have been instructed to plant native trees 10 feet in height. Several parks across the city have an inadequate green cover. The Corporation has sanctioned ₹61 crore to set up 169 parks.
- Among the areas in question are Sholinganallur, Perungudi, Alandur, and Ambattur. Residents want the Corporation to reclaim encroached OSR lands and convert them into green spaces.
- The Corporation will also paint the entrance gates, benches, and walkways in places like Jeeva Park in Tondiarpet, Arignar Anna Park, and the Corporation park on Basin Bridge Road.
Who said what? Officials said the parks will also have children’s play areas. R Shivakumar of Mogappair talked about creating a Miyawaki forest in the Ambattur zone from encroached land and a land parcel recovered from a private hospital. He said similar initiatives should be done in other places.
👩💻 Web 3.0 student developers
IBC Media’s Alt Hack provided a platform for student developers transitioning from Web 2.0 to 3.0.
What’s it about? The third Alt Hack recently concluded its Chennai edition with over 2,700 students from Tamil Nadu participating. Over 300 of them from 118 teams will get industry internships. IBC Media’s association with the Tamil Nadu Skill Board allowed students to showcase their Web 3.0 ideas. The organisation is building the largest student/developer community in emerging tech education.
- At the education boot camp, the students were trained in different aspects of blockchain and emerging technologies by IBC Media and other industry leaders and experts. The training program was holistic, with opportunities for certification and practical learning.
- The headline sponsor Polkadot provided students with an overview of the Polkadot environment architecture and its functional ecosystem. The event saw over 1,700 new ideas generated, with 3 teams awarded for the best ideas.
Who said what? IBC Media Founder & CEO Abhishek Patil said this event was a step in the right direction to bridge the skill gap in emerging technologies. Dr M Jayaprakasan, CEO of Naan Mudhalvan, said IBC is giving over 150 grants amounting to ₹48 lakh to be distributed among 118 teams.
🎨 Exploring human connection with nature through art
Artist Vijay Pichumani’s new solo exhibition highlights humanity’s connection to nature.
What’s it about? Titled “Naan Yaar” (Who am I), the exhibition highlights mankind’s deep connection with nature. The gallery is decorated with wood carvings, paintings, and sculptures. It delves into the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world.
- A series of 5 sculptures called Blossom is made with wood, stone, brass, copper, and steel to signify the five elements – earth, air, fire, water, and space.
- There’s a woodcut work called Language of Love. The faces of the subjects are masked with a daisy-like flower. His inspiration is to show how everyone can connect through the language of love.
Artists’ thoughts: Pichumani spent the early part of his life in a small village in Kanniyakumari. He has been working on this exhibit for the past year. There’s one piece that has a personal connection. He said the wood carving Light of My Life showcases his family of five surrounded by butterflies.
Details: The exhibition is on view till April 15 at Art Houz in Nungambakkam.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you still buy physical media like CDs, Bluray, DVDs, etc.?
- Yes, I still buy physical media like CDs, Bluray, DVDs, etc.
- No, I don’t buy physical media like CDs, Bluray, DVDs, etc.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What are some podcasts you listen to?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Chennai Corporation collected 87 tonnes of sanitary waste in two weeks.
- Summer temperatures have resulted in an increase in conjunctivitis over the past week.
- Chennai’s Garuda Aerospace plans to make 100% indigenous drones in a year.
- CSK opened with a win on their Chepauk stadium return after four years.
- A UK education expo organised by Global Study Link saw over 500 students attend.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I own a tablet: 25.0%
- I don’t own a tablet: 75.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What do you do to destress?
Nirja: “By watching the Friends series.”
Chitra: “Travel”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!