Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Foggy in the morning with sunny skies for the day.
🧐 Did you know? There was a radioactive scare in the Cooum. In 1993, an employee of the Indian arm of an American company stole radioactive chemicals and threw them into the river from Napier’s Bridge. A large crane was later used to retrieve them.
📚 Street libraries in parks
The Chennai Corporation will pilot an initiative where public parks have libraries.
What’s it about? To promote literacy and encourage reading, the Chennai Corporation will set up street libraries in public parks in North Chennai. The goal is also to attract more people to these parks.
- The pilot will kick off at Egmore’s May Day Park and Ragavendra Park in Choolai. Based on the response, it’ll then be scaled up at other parks in south and central Chennai.
- In some of the areas, there are only a few libraries. Since some of these parks are located near slums, kids are frequent visitors.
Other details: People can contribute books of all genres to the libraries. Later, there will be a dedicated person in charge of handling and maintaining the library.
👗 Sustainable fashion
SwappCycle aims to minimise waste and educate people about sustainable fashion choices.
What’s it about? Chennai-based Gayathri Jaikumar decided to launch a start-up in the fashion sector focused on sustainability. SwappCycle was born last August and stems from her love of choosing thrift culture and shunning fast fashion.
- SwappCycle is a barter-based marketplace. The idea is for a cash-free exchange of clothing. The entire process is taken care of right from doorstep pickup and delivery. People can upload images and transact through the app.
- SwappCycle is all-inclusive of every type and size of clothing. Younger consumers like Gen Z and millennials have international exposure and are more aware of their consumption choices.
Overcoming obstacles: Such a type of system isn’t necessarily readily acceptable by people. The idea of thrifting is still at a nascent stage in India, given the superstitions and myths around it.
🔊 Noisy Chennai
A new CPCB report ranked Chennai as the nosiest city with high decibel levels.
What’s it about? A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report stated Chennai as the noisiest among metropolitan cities. In digging deeper into the data of 15 zones, IIT Madras found that Alandur was the loudest.
- In Alandur, road traffic and metro rail construction were the biggest contributors due to increased traffic congestion at peak hours. In places like Ambatur and Tondiarpet, noise levels are high even in non-peak hours (10.30 am to 12.30 pm).
- Planting trees and using noise-absorbent materials like wood and mud can reduce ambient noise. Another suggestion is staggered timings for different projects and to reduce work at peak hours.
How was it done? Researchers measured noise levels in nearly 220 km of roads across the 15 zones using a noise dosimeter and sound-level meter in an autorickshaw. They calculated the noise from the auto and subtracted it from their readings to get actual noise levels.
🛣️ To prevent flooding
The state highways department will raise the road height on Velachery main road.
What’s it about? The department will spend ₹5 crore in low-lying areas on the Velachery main road to raise the height by up to two feet. They’ll use a bituminous layer and wet macadam mix.
- The first phase will be done at the entry and exit points of the Velachery MRTS bridge and the Kamakshi Hospital bridge. The existing footpath will also be razed, and new structures will be built so that there’s no height difference.
- The highways department previously decided to use a dip-raising technique to prevent flooding. It was successful in preventing water logging at the Kaiveli junction.
Monsoon troubles: During last year’s monsoon, heavy flooding at Pallikaranai led to slow movement of vehicles on the Velachery main road. Several IT companies and educational institutions couldn’t open even after the rain stopped.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Musicians, artists, and storytellers will gather at Kommune’s Open Mic this Saturday.
- Composer Vidyasagar comes to Chennai for The Name is Vidyasagar, a live concert this Saturday.
- Visaka Kumar and his band perform their debut show, En Paate Konjam Kelu, this Sunday.
- Art, music and festivities come together at the One People Festival this weekend.
- Theatre lovers can catch two plays, Leave Letter and Sukumari Engey, this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I prefer reading fiction: 36.4%
- I prefer reading biographies and memoirs: 63.6% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
How often do you go out for a meal?
Suchi: “Once or twice a month”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!