Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: A little cloudy but generally sunny with pleasant temperatures.
🧐 Did you know? A unique structure at the Besant Nagar beach is the Karl Schmidt Memorial. It was built to recognise the Danish sailor who gave his life to save the life of an English girl who was stranded out at sea.
🚯 Microplastics in the Pallikaranai marsh
An IIT Madras study has found microplastics in samples taken from the Pallikaranai marsh.
What’s it about? Per an IIT Madras study, every cubic metre of surface water of the marsh has an average of more than 1,700 microplastics. The marshland was recently designated a Ramsar site. These small microplastics can be ingested by fish and birds and absorb pollutants. The study was conducted using surface water and sediment samples.
- The samples contained heavy metals like zinc, iron, nickel, and titanium. The team used an X-Ray Fluorescence Analyser and found heavy metals in half the samples.
- Sewage and garbage from the urban and residential areas is the main reason for contamination. Experts have called for a comprehensive water resources management plan.
Who said what? Professor Indumathi Nambi said microplastics are persistent toxic pollutants in different environmental compartments. Professor Kurian Joseph from the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management said there’s an urgent need to switch from single-use disposable plastics.
👩🦱 Hair donation campaign
An NGO conducted a hair donation campaign for cancer patients.
What’s it about? City-based Cherian Foundation partnered with four hospitals to organise the 10th edition of the Gift Hair Gift Confidence hair donation campaign. The campaign aims to help cancer survivors and those from poorer backgrounds. They work with hospitals to distribute wigs to patients who can’t afford one.
- It aims to empower cancer survivors by providing them holistic medical help for free and gifting wigs to people from economically challenging backgrounds.
- The foundation will commemorate its 20th year by giving 250 wigs to four hospitals – Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, Kancheepuram’s Arignar Anna Hospital, Kolkata’s CNCI, and the Gujarat Cancer Institute.
Campaign’s mission & journey: Sara Benjamin Cherian, the Foundation’s trustee, comes from a family of wig-makers. The Foundation has donated more than 1,000 wigs to cancer survivors. Over the years, they’ve worked with the Adyar Cancer Institute for the campaign. She hopes the campaign will continue and be bigger in the coming years.
🖋️ Pen-shaped monument controversy
The proposed pen-shaped memorial dedicated to M Karunanidhi is running into controversy.
What’s it about? The landmark planned by Chief Minister MK Stalin in honour of his late father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi at Marina Beach is facing opposition from political parties, environmentalists, and some fisherfolk. Last July, the government proposed the 42-metre-tall structure in the shape of a pen to pay homage to Karunanidhi’s contribution to the literary world.
- At a cost of ₹80 crores, the plan is for the monument to be surrounded by a landscape garden and be 360 metres from the shore. It’ll be accessible by a lattice bridge.
- The monument will be in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) IVA, which is the sea. The bridge will fall under the CRZ-IA, an ecologically sensitive region with turtle nesting grounds.
Opposition: Fisherfolk in the area said it would affect 30 fishing hamlets. There’s also the risk of projected rising sea levels, and the site could be potentially impacted. The BJP said it was an unreasonable project and called it a waste of money. The project is currently awaiting environmental clearance.
🛣️ Ritchie Street’s evolution
Shopkeepers at Ritchie Street have kept up with the times to stave off competition.
Story so far: Ritchie Street was the go-to area to get some electronics like radios and transistors. In the 1970s and 80s, the place saw a boom. The electronics market expanded in the late 80s and 90s, with computers and tape recorders becoming available. Now, there are about 2,000 registered shops with several unregistered ones. Most of them sell phones, laptops, cameras, watches, etc.
- For some shopkeepers, the advent of e-commerce means the business has become tricky. Customers will compare prices and ask for a reduction. Some use e-commerce sites to sell their products outside the state.
- While some shops don’t sell fake goods, others do. One shopkeeper said people from electronic brands raid these shops. Some people even use electronic items as collateral for short-term loans, like a pawn shop.
Managing e-waste: Darwin Annadurai of Eco Society India said the first step is to identify how much e-waste the city generates and consider whether shops have space for storage. Working out the logistics will be a challenge. Another issue is that there aren’t many e-waste handlers in the city, and the quantity generated is increasing daily.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Thinking Out Loud is Manoj Prabakar’s solo comedy standup show, happening this Saturday.
- Arijit Singh is coming to Chennai this Saturday for a live concert.
- Alexperience is a Tamil musical standup show with songs and live music.
- The Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters brings together more than 300 writers, speakers, and performers to celebrate letters and ideas in Malayalam, Indian, and world literature this weekend.
- Pieces of my voice is a group of talented poets from Chennai performing an evening of poetry this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I’m interested in the stories of the Mahabharata and Ramayana: 70.0% 🏆
- I’m not interested in the stories of the Mahabharata and Ramayana: 30.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What special skill would you like to learn?
Vignesh: “Negotiation skill”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!