Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Mostly sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Triplicane Big Mosque is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the city. It was built in 1795 by the family of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Arcot.
📖 An ode to Chennai
A retired IAS officer’s new book pays tribute to the city that adopted her.
What’s it about? After CK Gariyali’s home in Kashmir was lost, she made Chennai, specifically Mylapore, her home. She has chronicled the city in her new book, “My Madras”. It’s a personal reflection of her long-standing association with the city, which has transformed and evolved over decades.
- The book offers her unique perspective through her previous roles as secretary to the governor, director of culture, and collector of the Madras district. She was entrusted with iconic places like the Madras Museum and the Connemara Library.
- The book delves into the city’s history from its earliest days as a fishing port to being a stronghold of the East India Company. It has writings from her old diaries, with photographs.
Focusing on Mylapore: The book also goes into Mylapore’s history being one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, with the historic Kapaleeshwarar Temple.
✊ Samsung workers strike
The strike by Samsung employees entered its second day and could hamper operations.
What’s it about? Around 1,800 Samsung workers at the company’s Sriperumbudur factory are on strike. Tents were placed outside the factory as they prepared to boycott work. Their demands are higher wages, better working hours, and recognition of their union.
- The Sriperumbudur plant is one of the two major manufacturing units of Samsung. It produces consumer electronics like refrigerators and washing machines for domestic sales and exports.
- Posters outside the factory read, “Indefinite strike from 9.9.2024. Discuss and solve demands from the labour union with officials”. Nearly half of the plant’s daily production has been affected.
Effect on Samsung: The Chennai factory accounts for 20-30% of the company’s annual $12 billion revenue in India. These protests follow the Samsung Electronics Union’s strike in South Korea in July and August.
🏍️ Helmets and kids riding pillion
A new survey found that only 1 in 4 kids in Chennai riding pillion wear helmets.
What’s it about? A Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group survey showed that 1 in 4 kids who ride pillion wear helmets. The 2019 Motor Vehicles Amendment Act mandates that all kids on two-wheelers should wear helmets. 88% of the survey’s respondents believed kids of all ages should wear helmets.
- The survey showed that bicycle helmets were the most common, accounting for 44% of all helmets used. Of the 25% of kids who wear helmets, 12% use adult helmets.
- Most of the kids were between 13 and 17 years old. Data from the Ministry of Road Transport showed that 5.7% of fatalities involved kids under the age of 18.
Helmet shops: Only 54% of the helmet shops surveyed stocked helmets for children. Nearly half of these sold only about 10 helmets for kids each month. About 9% of the shops admitted that they sell non-ISI-certified helmets.
🛣️ Who’s accountable for bad roads?
There’s zero accountability for deaths related to bad road conditions.
What’s it about? Several interior and arterial roads across the city are riddled with potholes, protruding manhole covers, or poorly maintained. For riders and pedestrians, they’ve become obstacle courses. In case of accidents or fatalities, civic bodies take no accountability.
- The average citizen has gotten used to the indifferent attitudes of civic officials. They sometimes blame drivers for not being cautious. Officials insist they send a list of the roads that need to be repaired to concerned agencies to no avail.
- The Chennai Police, MTC drivers, gig workers, and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) have conducted awareness programmes. The civic bodies and the Highways Department seem clueless.
What happens on the ground? The police are unable to assign responsibility since different government departments continue to cut up the roads and leave them in worse shape.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Are you allergic to any food item?
- I’m allergic to a food item.
- I’m not allergic to a food item.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What souvenir best represents Chennai?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Consumers in Chennai want e-commerce companies to switch to Electric Vehicles.
- Clarion Hotel President near RK Salai is being demolished to make way for a luxury housing project.
- Japan Foundation’s Travelling exhibition showcases the history of the country’s mystical dolls.
- The Chennai Corporation has identified four locations as vending zones.
- The Central government has granted a “Terms of Reference” for the Parandur greenfield report.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I’ve had an allergic reaction: 50.0% 🏆
- I’ve never had an allergic reaction: 50.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite type of humour?
Suchi: “The humour in Stand-up comedy shows.”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!