Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: Sunny with some cloud cover.
🧐 Did you know? The term Kollywood reportedly partly originates from the area of Kodambakkam, a business and residential area of the city.
🛥️ Autonomous boat
IIT Madras created a self-navigating boat to monitor water quality and aid in pollution assessment.
What’s it about? Researchers at IIT Madras successfully developed an autonomous surface boat to help monitor water bodies’ quality and aid in climate change studies. The four-member Team Aritra’s invention helped win the IIT Madras team a place in the top 3 at the 2023 Sustainability Award in the Njord Challenge in Norway.
- The 1.5m x 1m boat works on propulsion by thrusters. It has sensors, a camera, and a GPS antenna, and works autonomously. It’s made from fibre-reinforced plastic with a splashproof enclosure to protect the electronic equipment.
- The competition involved testing the boat on three parameters – the ability to navigate a channel, the ability to dock, and detect and avoid dynamic obstacles.
Use cases: Apart from scientific research, the boat can contribute to activities like underwater mapping, pollution monitoring, and disaster response. It opens avenues for advanced marine exploration and can help better understand oceanic ecosystems.
🌊 Widening Adyar River
Land acquisition for widening the Adyar River has begun to prepare Chennai for heavy rainfall.
What’s it about? The government announced a project to widen the Adyar River as part of flood mitigation efforts. Land acquisition has started to create a broader riverbed to accommodate increased water flow during heavy rains.
- The Water Resources Department is waiting to complete the acquisition of 2.5 km along the stretch of the river to increase the width to 360 feet.
- Kundrathur residents have been notified since they occupy the mostly barren 17.7 acres of land. Preparations are also underway to strengthen embankments along the river.
Why the change? The Adyar River’s map shows the ideal width should be between 200 and 600 feet. Currently, it’s less than 100 feet between Thiruneermalai and Anagaputhur.
🏥 New critical care unit
A new critical care unit will come up at the Government Stanely Medical College.
What’s it about? The hospital will get a new 300-bed six-storey critical care unit thanks to a ₹112 crore allocation. Health Minister Ma Subramanian made the announcement as he inaugurated a sensory integration and therapeutic park for kids with disabilities.
- The critical care unit will be equipped with cutting-edge medical technology and staffed by trained professionals for MRI and CT scans. There’ll be nursing quarters to house 400 nurses.
- Construction for the new unit will begin once the previous 104-year-old building used for nursing quarters is demolished. The public works department declared it unfit for habitation.
Sensory park: Meanwhile, the new sensory park inaugurated has facilities to treat kids on the autism spectrum. It has slides, swings, merry-go-rounds, and walkways.
🏺 Moulding artistic pieces
Ceramic pottery artist Apoorva Kappagantula moulds clay into beautiful artistic pieces.
Who is she? The 30-year-old established studio potter from Chennai transformed her small garage into a studio where she crafts day-to-day cutlery pieces and other items.
- Her dedication to the craft highlights the blend of traditional pottery techniques with contemporary design. Her journey through pottery exemplifies the fusion of art and craftsmanship adding a personal touch.
- Her ceramic work extends beyond conventional pottery, also focussing on producing distinctive and tailor-made pieces. She also dedicates time and effort to wall paintings for cafes and residential areas.
Passing on the knowledge: Partnering with OlogyWomen, Apoorva will conduct a ceramic pottery workshop at the Ology Studio in Anna Nagar on September 2 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you attended a pottery workshop?
- I have attended a pottery workshop.
- I have never attended a pottery workshop.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which sportsperson from Chennai do you like the most?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Ennore Power station expansion has yet to begin due to mismanagement and bad decision-making.
- The Korattur Lake continues to be polluted with sewage despite the construction of a regulator.
- The search for a vice-chancellor for Madras University continues since the search panel hasn’t been constituted yet.
- Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who won silver at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, received a rousing welcome back to Chennai.
- Chennai City FC owners have acquired a stake in Colombia’s Angkor Tiger Football Club.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- The city’s urban development is better off than a decade ago: 71.4% 🏆
- The city’s urban development is worse off than a decade ago: 28.6%
That’s it for today. Have a great day!