Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 23 ℃ | Warm and sunny for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Red Hills gets its name from Semman Kuviyal, which is the excess availability of red mud.
💃 Grain dance
A dance show spotlighted the role of rice in the life of Asians.
What’s it about? A multidisciplinary dance show called Arisi: Rice-Grains of Life was the brainchild of Aravinth Kumarasamy, artistic director of Apsaras Arts Dance Academy, Singapore. It involves Bharatnatyam and Balinese dancers and shines a spotlight on the importance of rice as a crop and food staple. It was performed during the recent Margazhi music season.
- The 75-minute show takes people through paddy fields from Thanjavur to Bali and has been performed in several countries. It weaves traditions and celebrations concerning rice.
- The props include 600 rice stalks. The music was composed by Rajkumar Bharathi, blending in Balinese instruments. The lyrics have elements from Tamil poets like Manickavasagar, Kambar, and Subrahmanya Bharathi.
Why this form of dance? Bharatnatyam and Balinese dance are rooted in natyasasthra. The goal was to have many cross-cultural references in the dance and performance.
🚌 Bus shelter renovations
Over 760 bus shelters across the city will be renovated to help the Chennai Corporation earn new revenue.
What’s it about? The Corporation has floated tenders worth ₹2 crore to renovate 100 shelters in phase 1 to build, repair, and maintain the shelters. The Corporation will have daily inspections and fine the erring contractors.
- Some of the roads getting new shelters are Ennore High Road, Red Hills Main Road, and Gandhi Irwin Road. The shelters will have 6×2.5-metre digital boards for advertisements.
- The advertising cost will depend on the daily traffic. In core city areas, the contractor should get ₹30,000-80,000 per day. The Corporation’s revenue department can directly rent out the space for advertisements.
Previous failures: In 2015, the Corporation tendered out bus shelters to three companies. They were placed at random locations that weren’t bus stops. Now, bus routes and frequencies are being accounted for.
✈️ New airport’s unique design
The Parandur airport will have passenger terminals sandwiched between two runways.
What’s it about? The new airport’s unique design is to facilitate planes to land and taxi and reach the aerobridges quickly. The design was submitted by the state government to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for a pre-feasibility report.
- The space between the two runways will be used for passenger terminals and aircraft bays. The remaining space will have two to three taxiways to link the two runways.
- The report shows the airport will be built in phases. The first phase will be one domestic and international terminal and a runway. The government recently began acquiring land by notifying 220 parcels in Podanur village.
Getting to the airport: Passengers will reach the airport via a link road from the Chennai-Bengaluru expressway. There’ll also be a metro station at the front entrance of the terminals. The Chennai-Bengaluru high-speed rail line will also pass near the proposed site.
🐄 GST Road cattle menace
The stray cattle menace is not limited to residential areas but also arterial roads like the GST Road.
What’s it about? Despite some injuries, deaths, and warnings from the Chennai Corporation, the stray cattle menace shows no signs of stopping. It’s no longer restricted to residential areas and streets. At the GST Road from Tambaram to Chrompet, stray cattle are a perennial issue for commercial establishments and commuters.
- Garbage dumped in the open on the main road attracts stray cattle and has become a problem for shops along the Amala Annai Complex. They also sometimes damage goods and produce.
- The cattle also cause traffic jams since they add up during peak traffic hours. The GST Road has many IT companies. The cattle often occupy space on the roadside and on the footpaths.
What’s being done about it? The Tambaram Corporation are planning to set up Gowshalas. The civic body has also instructed cattle owners to not leave them on the roads and warned them of fines.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Have you gone swimming on a beach?
- I have gone swimming on a beach.
- I haven’t gone swimming on a beach.
❓ Today’s Question
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What’s the one superpower you would like to have?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- 29 Corporation schools under the Tambaram Corporation will get new playgrounds.
- The MTC has begun piloting 50 buses at eight locations with new technology like mobile apps and real-time tracking.
- Korattur residents want the Chennai Corporation to finish renovating the Kottankuchchi pond.
- New traffic diversions have been announced to facilitate metro work near Anna flyover and Sterling Road.
- Metro construction was put on hold in Mylapore after shopkeepers filed a case against their eviction.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!