Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The first Tamil journal was the Tamil Patrika from 1831, published by the Religious Tract Society. Despite having government support, it shut down after two years.
🛣️ Audit of roads
An independent audit of roads across the city has shown specific issues in their construction.
What’s it about? A citizen-led independent audit of over 300 roads in the city was done by the anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam. With over 200 resident participants, the NGO identified issues in how they were constructed.
- Among the most pressing issues was the lack of milling before roads were re-laid. In several areas, there were no new roads for over a decade, and other civic work hindered the re-laying of roads.
- The NGO got inputs from residents and inspected the roads physically along with volunteers. Among the places worst affected were Mint, Sowcarpet, and T Nagar. The survey found South Chennai had the highest number of bad roads with 97.
What’s the Corporation doing? In preparation for the monsoon, the Corporation commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan said over 11,200 roads have been identified since June. So far, work on 3,877 roads has been completed, including in interior areas.
🏗️ More high-rise residences
Chennai has seen significant growth in the number of high-rise residences as people’s preferences have changed.
What’s it about? A high-rise is usually defined as a building with at least 10 storeys. The demand for these has increased in the city in recent years. Due to limited land and high property prices, they’ve become a viable option for the growing population.
- As the city grows increasingly congested, the availability of land becomes scarce. High-rise buildings can accommodate more people in a compact area. People also want a better quality of life by living away from the hustle and pollution of city life.
- Many of the projects with high-rise residences offer several amenities and facilities with large open green spaces incorporating unique and innovative designs. There’s also an increased sense of safety and security with gated entrances and CCTV coverage.
Investment option: High-rises are also seen as a lucrative investment option. With an increase in demand, the real estate market has remained buoyant with more rental demand and scope for price appreciation in the future.
🚇 Trains for metro’s phase 2
.jpg){kind=link}
The Chennai Metro will have a flexible solution to address increased passenger demand in phase 2.
What’s it about? With an expected increase in demand, once the metro’s second phase begins operations, officials plan to combine two three-coach trains to create six-coach trains.
- Previously, the plan was to have only three coach trains to cover the 3 corridors spanning 116 km. Officials have already awarded contracts for three-coach trains.
- With a surge in demand, the six-coach train could be used in phase 1 and extensions. For phase 2, three-coach trains will be used during non-peak hours. As demand increases during peak hours, the six-coach trains will be deployed.
Current status: Phase 1 and extension cover 54 km and carry nearly 2.5 lakh passengers daily. Commuters have demanded more trains and improved frequency due to overcrowding.
🚌 New bus shelters for Tambaram
The Tambaram Corporation has proposed the construction of new bus shelters in its jurisdiction.
What’s it about? The Tambaram Corporation has allocated ₹5 crore for the new bus shelters, with plans afoot to conduct surveys and identify locations where ridership is high.
- Many of the bus shelters are in poor condition, with broken benches and walls covered in posters. There are also transport hubs like the Tambaram railway station entrance that doesn’t have a bus shelter.
- At Perungalathur, just a few stops away, sewage has infiltrated the shelter and people had to stand close to moving vehicles. There’s not much space between the bus stop and the traffic near the flyover.
Routes: Many passengers catch a bus at these spots in Tambaram to travel to Vandalur, Thiruporur, Perungalathur, and other southern suburbs.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Would you prefer to live in a high-rise apartment?
- I would prefer to live in a high-rise apartment.
- I wouldn’t prefer to live in a high-rise apartment.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which is your favourite board game?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Vertical gardens under a flyover remain in ruin due to a lack of maintenance.
- Adi Dravidar hostels will soon get nutritious food thanks to centralised kitchens.
- Three Writer’s Cafe employees will attend a three-month course at Dubai’s International Centre of Culinary Arts.
- The Southern Ring Summit will take place in Chennai to explore the contributions of southern states.
- The Tambaram Civic body has stepped up its battle against stray cattle.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I attended private coaching while in school: 60.0% 🏆
- I didn’t attend private coaching while in school: 40.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What area of the city do you think needs a metro?
Suchi: “Tambaram”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!