Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny weather.
🧐 Did you know? Table tennis has a rich history in the state and city. The first Madras player to use the revolutionary sandwich racquet in a premier tournament was S Bharathan from the Mylapore Gymkhana. He won the Madras State championship in 1963.
♻️ Trash art
KING Gowtham’s new art installation urges Chennaites to stay off plastics.
What’s it about? As the founder of the “Walk for Plastics” initiative, the city-based artiste Gowtham’s Turn Off the Plastic Tap instalment at Pattinapakkam Beach aims to generate awareness among people about the dangers of plastic pollution.
- The instalment is made with 25 kg of plastic waste. It was made for the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management at Anna University.
- The instalment is meant to educate people on the dangers of plastics that pollute the environment, especially oceans and marine life. Steffi Lemke, the Minister of Environment, Natural Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, visited the exhibit.
Inspiration: Gowtham’s inspiration was Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Van Wong. He created a Giant Plastic Tap at the United Nations to mark the discussions on the Global Plastics Treaty.
⛔ VIPs cause traffic issues
The arrival of President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Minister MK Stalin’s convoy caused traffic jams in some areas on Saturday.
What happened? On GST Road, Anna Salai, and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), traffic congestion ensued in the evening as MK Stalin’s convoy was en route to receive President Murmu at the airport.
- President Murmu landed at Chennai airport at 6.45 pm. One lane of the route from the airport to Raj Bhavan was blocked for almost 20 minutes, till the convoy reached Raj Bhavan at 7.30 pm.
- People were stuck on the roads for nearly an hour. A concert at the YMCA in Nandanam added to the traffic woes. Motorists reported traffic jams from Madhya Kailash to Indira Nagar on the IT corridor.
Areas affected: The areas affected by traffic congestion that evening were GST Road, Kathipara flyover, Saidapet, Teynampet, and Nandaman, among others.
⚖️ Free legal counselling
Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI) will open free legal aid centres in the city.
What’s it about? As part of its outreach initiative, the fan club-cum-welfare organisation of actor Vijay held its first meeting of advocates in Chennai to discuss the scheme. The meeting’s outcome was the decision to set up legal aid centres.
- TVMI general secretary Bussy N Anand said the first centre will come up in Chennai. They also discussed the functioning of the advocate’s wing.
- The TVMI has been in the news recently after it sacked a functionary of its youth wing in Namakkal. The person was arrested on charges of illegal liquor sales.
Other initiatives: The TVMI launched night study centres to support school students. Actor Vijay honoured 1,600 toppers of the board exams at a recent event. These centres are currently located in 90 assembly constituencies.
🎨 Fisherfolk-inspired art
A Mexican artist is behind the mural at Nochikuppam inspired by the lives of fisherfolk.
What’s it about? Mexican artist Paola Delfin painted a mural at Nochikuppam, one of the residential areas at one end of Marina Beach. The painted mural is supported by the St+art India Foundation.
- The foundation is a non-profit that creates art projects in public spaces. The monochromatic artwork is meant to reflect the location, which has been integral to the lives of fisherfolk.
- The mural is based on interactions Delfin had with the residents of the locality.
Previous works: Delfin has also painted murals on the streets of Delhi’s Lodhi Colony with artists like Andha Ras from Malaysia and urban artist Daku.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you think officials do a good job of keeping the city’s beaches clean?
- Officials do a good job of keeping the city’s beaches clean.
- Officials don’t do a good job of keeping the city’s beaches clean.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What style of painting/art would you like to get good at?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Corporation’s Green Building is slated to be ready by the end of the year.
- North Chennai residents have intensified their campaign to convert the Otteri dump yard into a playground.
- A Flood Management Plan will be finalised at a sub-committee meeting next week.
- The Apparel Manufacturers of India (AMI) will host its mega South Conclave ADVAIT 2.0 in Chennai from August 16 to 19.
- Indonesian airline Batak Air will add a new route from Kualanamu International Airport to Chennai on August 11.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!